Table 1.

Characteristics of Patients Receiving an ICD Among Secondary Prevention Randomized Controlled Trials

	AVID (n=507)30	CASH (n=99)31	CIDS (n=328)32
Inclusion	Patients resuscitated from near‐fatal VF Sustained VT with syncope Sustained VT with an LVEF <40% and symptoms suggesting severe hemodynamic compromise due to the arrhythmia	Patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest secondary to documented sustained ventricular arrhythmias	Documented VF Out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation or cardioversion Documented, sustained VT causing syncope Documented, sustained VT at a rate >150 beats/min causing presyncope or angina in a patient with LVEF <35% Unmonitored syncope with subsequent documentation of either spontaneous VT >10 seconds or sustained monomorphic VT induced by programmed ventricular stimulation
Mean age (SD)	65±11	58±11	63±9.2
Male, %	78	79	85
Coronary artery disease, %	81	73	···
LVEF (%, SD)	32±13	46±19	34.3±14.5
NYHA
I or II, %	48	82	37.8
III, %	7	18	···
Presenting arrhythmia
Ventricular fibrillation, %	44	84	47
Ventricular tachycardia, %
Sustained VT	55	16	···
VT with syncope	···	···	13
Other VT	···	···	25
Medications
β‐Blocker	38.1% (ICD); 11% (AAD) at 12 months	0 in ICD or amiodarone arm	37% (ICD); 21.2% (AAD) at 12 months
Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor	68.4% (ICD); 65.5% (AAD) at 12 months	40% to 45% at discharge	Not recorded
Digitalis	45.8% (ICD); 37.9% (AAD) at 12 months	15% to 26% at discharge	34.5% (ICD); 21.9% (AAD) at 12 months
Diuretic agent	56% (ICD); 59.3% (AAD) at 12 months	25% to 33% at discharge	Not recorded
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded

AAD indicates antiarrhythmic drug; AVID, Antiarrhythmics Versus Implantable Defibrillators; CASH, Cardiac Arrest Study Hamburg; CIDS, Canadian Implantable Defibrillator Study; ICD, implantable cardioverter defibrillator; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NYHA, New York Heart Association; VF, ventricular fibrillation; VT, ventricular tachycardia.