Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for secondary prevention: is it worth it in the elderly?

Aging is associated with structural alterations in the heart that predispose the elderly to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The majority of sudden cardiac deaths occur in people aged 65 and older. As the proportion of elderly in our population continues to grow, a greater number of elderly patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias will require appropriate medical management. Clinical outcome trials have demonstrated that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) improve overall survival compared with pharmacologic therapy when used for the secondary prevention of cardiac arrest. Despite proven efficacy, physicians may be reluctant to implant a defibrillator in an older patient. This review summarizes the data pertaining to the use of defibrillators for secondary prevention in the elderly. ICD use for secondary prevention reduces all-cause mortality and appears to be economically advantageous in an older patient population. Currently, there is no convincing data to suggest that ICD therapy should be withheld from a patient based on age alone.