SCD-HeFT

Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial

 

Objective:

Determine if amiodarone or ICD will decrease the risk of death from any cause in patients with mild-to-moderate heart failure

Primary endpoint:

• Overall mortality

Secondary endpoints:

• Mortality: ischemic vs. non-ischemic
• Mortality: NYHA Class II vs. III
• Mortality by Subgroups: age, gender, LVEF, MI Hx, time of MI, QRS width
• Cause-Specific Death
• HF Morbidity and Mortality
• Quality of Life
• Cost of Care and Cost-Effectiveness

Status:

Start: September, 1997
Completion: October, 2003
Sample size: 2,521
Published: New England Journal of Medicine, January 2005

Results:

• In class II or III HF patients with EF ≤ 35% on good background drug therapy, the mortality rate for placebo-controlled patients is 7.2% per year over 5 years
• ICDs decrease mortality by 23%
• Amiodarone, when used as a primary preventive agent, does not improve survival

For more information please visit www.scdheft.com.