Reply to the Editor - Are we close to a major impact on prevention of sudden cardiac death among coronary artery disease patients?

Abstract

We thank Doundoulakis and colleagues for their interest in our study demonstrating that ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation was the presenting rhythm in ∼50% of the in-hospital cardiac arrests among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (EF).1 Determining whether cardiac arrests occur owing to shockable arrhythmias is a key step in the quest to reduce sudden cardiac death (SCD) in heart failure with preserved EF.2 However, more work needs to be done to prevent SCD, particularly in patients with EF >35% who are not eligible for primary-prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy based on the current practice guidelines.