[Wearable defibrillator : Current evidence].

The wearable cardioverter/defibrillator (WCD) is safe and effective in the prevention of sudden cardiac death, and has found its way into international guidelines and clinical practice. Nearly 40,000 patients with a WCD have been published in clinical registries and one randomized study has recently been presented. Especially patients with newly diagnosed cardiomyopathy with severely reduced left ventricular function show an increased risk for ventricular tachyarrhythmias and may benefit from a WCD. In these patients without an indication for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), the WCD offers protection from sudden cardiac death during initiation and optimization of heart failure medication. Critical patient selection and structured patient management is crucial for successful WCD prescription. This review gives an overview of the current data and recommendations on WCD.