Heart Device Fails to Improve Longevity in New Amyloidosis Research

A new Mayo Clinic study questions the benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator use to treat patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

For patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (TTR-CA), the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) may not be delivering on its promise of providing life-saving health outcomes. Long considered a cornerstone treatment to prevent sudden cardiac death, experts now speculate the overall survival benefit conveyed by the pricey technology may no longer be significant in patients with impaired heart function.