TABLE 3.
Predictors of Life-Threatening VT/VF in the Patients With ICDs
| Clinical Characteristics | No Arrhythmia (n = 60) | Fast Arrhythmia VT/VF (n = 22) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Arrhythmia Vs. Fast Arrhythmias | No Fast Arrhythmia Vs. Fast Arrhythmias | |||
| Age at enrollment | 41 ± 14 | 33 ± 15 | 0.036 | 0.032 |
| Age at earliest symptom, yrs | 37 ± 14 | 31 ± 17 | 0.140 | 0.130 |
| Female | 27 (45) | 5 (25) | 0.114 | 0.132 |
| Affected | 37 (62) | 18 (90) | 0.018 | 0.066 |
| Arrhythmic events (VT/VF) before enrollment | 34 (57) | 19 (95) | 0.002 | 0.020 |
| Syncope before enrollment | 14 (23) | 8 (40) | 0.148 | 0.151 |
| Syncope or VT/VF | 36 (60) | 19 (95) | 0.003 | .040 |
| Family history of sudden death | 22 (42) | 7 (37) | 1.000 | 0.970 |
| Follow-up, yrs | 3.0 ± 1.8 | 3.8 ± 1.1 | 0.074 | 0.185 |
| Heart transplant | 2 (3) | 0 (0) | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| Death | 1 (2) | 0 (0) | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| Antiarrhythmic agents | 19 (39) | 14 (70) | 0.018 | 0.169 |
| Beta-blockers | 41 (84) | 17 (85) | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| RVEF (%), mean, MRI | 43 ± 8 | 41 ± 13 | 0.237 | 0.284 |
| LVEF (%), mean, MRI | 59.74 ± 6.42 | 55.67 ± 4.69 | 0.041 | 0.131 |
| Negative T-wave in leads II, III, aVF | 19 (32) | 12 (60) | 0.024 | 0.296 |
| QRS duration in V2 | 0.103 ± 0.023 | 0.106 ± 0.023 | 0.292 | 0.693 |
| Filtered QRS40, mean | 116.9 | 123.4 | 0.172 | 0.552 |
| fQRS40 >120 | 16 (33) | 8 (53) | 0.164 | 0.451 |
| VPBs (ventricular total >1,000/24 h) | 25 (58) | 9 (64) | 0.684 | 0.560 |
| Any induced VT or VF | 30 (50) | 13 (65) | 0.244 | 0.625 |
Values are mean ± SD or n (%). The fourth column compares those with no ventricular arrhythmia with those with only fast ventricular arrhythmias; the fifth column compares those without fast VT/VF with those with fast VT/VF. Predictors of life-threatening VT/VF included younger age at enrollment, VT/VF before enrollment, and syncope or VT/VF before enrollment. The only independent predictor was younger age at the time of ICD implantation (p = 0.032).