Improved outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator in systolic heart failure: Analysis of the Japan cardiac device treatment registry database.

BACKGROUND: Temporal change in outcomes of heart failure patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (CRT-D) is unknown.

METHODS: We assess outcomes and underlying heart diseases of patients receiving CRT-D with analyzing database of the Japan cardiac device treatment registry (JCDTR) at the implantation year 2011-2015 and New JCDTR at the implantation year 2018-2021.

RESULTS: Proportion of nonischemic heart diseases was about 70% in both the groups (JCDTR: 69%; New JCDTR: 72%). Cardiac sarcoidosis increased with the rate of 5% in the JCDTR to 9% in the New JCDTR group. During an average follow-up of 21 months, death from any cause occurred in 167 of 906 patients in the JCDTR group (18%) and 79 of 611 patients in the New JCDTR group (13%) (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] in the New JCDTR group, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.94; p  = .017). The superiority was mainly driven by reduction in the risk of noncardiac death. With regard to appropriate and inappropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, there was a significant reduction in the New JCDTR group versus the JCDTR group (aHR in the New JCDTR group, 0.76; 95% CI: 0.59-0.98; p  = .032 for appropriate ICD therapy; aHR in the New JCDTR group, 0.24; 95% CI: 0.12-0.50; p  < .0001 for inappropriate ICD therapy).

CONCLUSIONS: All-cause mortality was reduced in CRT-D patients implanted during 2018-2021 compared to those during 2011-2015, with a significant reduction in noncardiac death.