Study: Latino Heart Failure Patients Less Likely to Be Aware of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

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Only one in five heart failure patients especially Latino and Blacks are counseled about the option and benefits of receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator ( a battery-powered device that monitors heart rate and if needed delivers electric shocks to restore normal heartbeat), according to a recent study by the American Heart Association (AHA).

“Among patients who were counseled, black and Hispanic patients were less likely than their white counterparts to get an ICD. The data show 65 percent of whites got the device or planned to get it, compared with 58 percent of blacks and 56 percent of Hispanics, “ AHA wrote in their news portal American Heart Association News.

“Those patients, randomized clinical trials have shown, are more likely to live … if they get a defibrillator,” said cardiologist Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., a study coauthor. “It’s a big deal whether a patient gets a defibrillator or not.”

Read the full story here.