The long-term prognosis for patients with sinoatrial block treated with permanent pacemaker.

Fifty patients with SA block have been treated with permanent pacing and followed up for 1-14 years. Survival after one, two, five and eight years was calculated to 94, 85, 64 and 48%, respectively. These figures indicate an excess yearly mortality in the first five years of 4-5% compared with a population of the same age and sex. Analysis of the survival curves shows that the excess mortality is caused by coexisting diseases, primarily coronary heart disease with previous myocardial infarction and valvular heart disease.