Association between myocardial substrate, implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks and mortality in MADIT-CRT

In the MADIT-CRT study, receiving appropriate ICD shocks was associated with an increased risk of subsequent mortality. This association was not evident for appropriate ATP only. These findings, along with advanced cardiac structural disease in the patients who received appropriate shocks, suggest that the compromised myocardium is a contributing factor to the increased mortality associated with appropriate ICD shock therapy. Clinical trials.gov identifier: NCT00180271.