Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Background/Introduction: Parameters routinely measured during cardiac devices implantation also depend on bioelectrical properties of the myocardial tissue.
Purpose
To explore the potential association of electrical parameters with clinical outcomes in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) recipients.
Methods
In the framework of the Home Monitoring Expert Alliance, baseline electrical parameters for all implanted leads were compared by occurrence of all-cause mortality, adjudicated ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and atrial high rate episode lasting ≥7 days (7day-AHRE).
Results
In a cohort of 2,976 patients (58.1% ICD) with a median follow-up of 25 months, events rates were 3.1/100 patient-years for all-cause mortality, 18.1/100 patient-years for VA and 8.9/100 patient-years for 7day-AHRE.
At univariate analysis baseline shock impedance was consistently lower in groups with events than in those without, with a 40 Ohm cut-off better identifying patients at high risk, but at multivariable analysis the adjusted-hazard ratios (HRs) lost statistical significance for any endpoint.
Baseline atrial sensing amplitude during sinus rhythm was lower in patients with 7-day AHRE as compared to those without (2.40 [IQ: 1.62-3.71] Vs 3.50 [IQ: 2.35-4.66] mV, p < 0.01). The adjusted-HR for 7-day AHRE in patients with atrial sensing >1.5 mV versus those with values ≤1.5 mV was 0.44 (95% CI:0.27-0.72), p = 0.001.
Conclusion
Despite in patients with events a lower baseline shock impedance was observed at univariate analysis, the association lost statistical significance at multivariable analysis. Conversely, low sinus rhythm atrial sensing (≤1.5 mV) measured with standard transvenous leads could identify subjects at high risk of long-lasting atrial arrhythmia.
Abstract Figure. AHRE occurrence by atrial sensing