Renal dialysis as a risk factor for appropriate therapies and mortality in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator recipients.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death, although the utility of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in these patients is unknown.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether end-stage renal disease is an independent risk factor for appropriate ICD therapy for ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) and to compare the long-term survival of ICD recipients with and without end-stage renal disease.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on ICD recipients at a single center.