Identification of High-risk Patients for Implantable Cardioverter–Defibrillator Therapy in Asia

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a serious medical problem worldwide. Multiple landmark studies have demonstrated the benefit of implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD) therapy in preventing SCD in at-risk patients. Although the data available in Asia are limited, the disease pattern seems to be different from that in the western world. The Asian population seems to have a lower incidence of SCD. Coronary heart disease, which is the major underlying cause of SCD in the west, may play a less important role in Asian countries. In addition, non-structural heart disease seems to be a more prevalent cause of SCD in Asia. It is thus questionable whether the results of ICD trials can be applied directly to Asian countries, as most of these trials seldom recruited Asian patients. This article will review SCD in Asia, focusing on the epidemiology and risk factors for SCD in Asia and highlighting some unique features that may be different from those seen in the western world.