Originally Published MDDI January 2003

NEWSTRENDS

Studies of a noninvasive test to precisely assess a person's risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) will begin early this year. The trials will involve up to 50 hospitals worldwide and will include 1800 patients in all. The study will focus on use of Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA), developed by Cambridge Heart Inc. (Cambridge, MA) to stratify SCD risk. Results of the study should be available in 2005.

The test is intended to assess post-myocardial infarction patients for risk of a second infarct. About 10% of such patients die of subsequent rhythm abnormalities within two years. Use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) has been shown to improve survival by 30%. But ICDs are expensive and not all will benefit. MTWA detects extremely subtle electronic fluctuations in a person's heartbeat that cannot be seen on electrocardiograms. Such fluctuations are believed to be a strong predictor of SCD. Precisely stratifying this population with a simple test could pinpoint patients likely to benefit from an ICD. This would help reduce mortality rates in that group, and make ICD treatment more cost effective.

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