Researchers at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust/University of Southampton are looking to recruit patients for a new clinical trial called The BRITISH study. The study will look at the importance of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in treating cardiac arrest in people with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM).
The trial will see researchers in 35 UK hospitals recruit over 2,500 patients with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and evidence of scarring of the heart muscle who will then be randomised to have an ICD or not.
Non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is a common cause of heart failure accounting for around a third of cases. 'Non-ischaemic' refers to the fact that the weakness of the heart muscle that characterises the condition is not primarily due to the blood flow down the coronary arteries. Some patients with NICM can be at the risk of sudden cardiac death due to dangerous, very fast heartbeats which can cause cardiac arrest.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) can treat cardiac arrest and stop fast, abnormal heart rhythms by delivering an electric shock to the patient’s heart. The current guidelines look at how well the heart is pumping to decide which patients should get an implant.
To find out more about this study, click here, and email british@soton.ac.uk to find out if you fit the criteria to take part in this study.