Women receive greater benefit from
CRT-Ds than men

14 July 2010

Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) reduce heart failure events more in women than men, according to data from Boston Scientific Corporation's MADIT-CRT trial.

The results demonstrated that both men and women experienced significant benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy. However, women experienced a 70% reduction in heart failure events compared to a 35% reduction for men. Additional analysis demonstrated that women with asymptomatic or mild heart failure experienced a 72% reduction in all-cause mortality.

"There are a number of factors that may explain why women experienced a greater benefit than men," said Arthur Moss, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Principal Investigator of the MADIT-CRT trial.

"CRT-D therapy is designed to improve the heart's overall pumping ability and women are more likely than men to have non-ischemic heart disease, which typically affects the entire heart rather than a single region and can lead to reduced pumping strength, abnormal heart rhythms and disturbances in the heart's electrical system. Men are more likely to have ischemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, which often leads to a more localized impact on the heart."

"These findings are noteworthy because CRT-D therapy has historically been underutilized in women compared to men with the same level of heart disease," said Kenneth Stein, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, CRM, for Boston Scientific's Cardiology, Rhythm and Vascular Group.

"Boston Scientific believes that all patients should have equal access to high-quality cardiovascular care regardless of gender. We believe these findings will help reduce treatment disparities between men and women."

MADIT-CRT is the world's largest randomized CRT-D study of New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I and II patients[1], with more than 1,800 patients enrolled at 110 centres worldwide. Results of the MADIT-CRT trial were published in the October 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Boston Scientific currently has an application under review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the expansion of its CRT-D indication to include high-risk[2] NYHA Class I and II patients with Left Bundle Branch Block.

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