Defibrillators detect and correct irregular heart rhythms that if left unchecked could lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death. The Subcutaneous Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (S-ICD) the newest type of ICD is less invasive than a traditional ICD.
The S-ICD since it is implanted just under the skin does not require leads or wires to be connected to the heart. It uses a special sensing technology to detect dangerous heart rhythms without touching the heart and surrounding vessels.
Study leader Valentina Kutyifa MD PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Cardiology at University of Rochester Medical Center” Heart Research Follow-up Program www.urmc.rochester.edu/followup.aspx said, “Eliminating device leads through the use of the S-ICD is critical for patients with diabetes as they often have compromised immune systems and an increased risk of infections. Leads can provide a potential pathway for bacteria to spread to the heart and can cause unnecessary patient complications.”
A trial being led by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center www.urmc.rochester.edu will determine if using S-ICD can increase survival in this growing group of patients to be enrolled in the trial. To take part in the trial, individuals must be diabetic, be 65 years and older, have had a heart attack, and have slightly reduced heart function.
The trial will enroll 1,800 patients at about 100 sites in the U.S., Europe, and Israel to determine if the S-ICD improves survival as compared to patients remaining on their current medical therapy. The trial is sponsored by Boston Scientific, maker of the EMBLEM™ S-ICD system www.bostonscientific.com.