An observational study in Sudden Cardiac Arrest, Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and Congestive Heart Failure, sponsored by State University of New York at Buffalo. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-06.
Sponsored by State University of New York at Buffalo · Observational
Sudden cardiac death continues to be a major contributor to mortality in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. While implantable defibrillators can prevent death from ventricular arrhythmias, our current approach to identify patients at highest risk primarily rests on demonstrating a reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction less than 35%. The purpose of this observational cohort study is to prospectively test whether this can be enhanced by quantifying the amount of sympathetic denervation, left ventricular end-diastolic volume or brain natriuretic peptide levels.
Using current guidelines based primarily on ejection fraction (EF), only one-quarter of patients receiving an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) require appropriate ICD therapy within 5 years. The NIH-sponsored PAREPET study (Prediction of ARrhythmic Events with Positron Emission Tomography, ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01400334) identified four independent risk factors that predict SCA or ICD equivalent in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Using retrospectively defined cut-points, the absence of these risk factors identified 38% of the cohort with a very low risk of SCA (\<1% per year). This rate is actually lower than the 1.5-2% annual rate of SCA among patients with coronary artery disease and mild left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, who are not considered candidates for a primary prevention ICD. This proposal will prospectively determine whether these risk factors can form the basis of a clinically applicable approach to identify a subgroup of patients who are candidates for an ICD, but are at low enough risk of SCA to have an ICD safely withheld. Our long-term goal is to develop better approaches to identify patients with coronary artery disease who are most likely to benefit from prevention of SCA with placement of an implantable defibrillator.
363 studies on the registry are indexed under Death, Sudden, Cardiac; 84 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 302 is below the median of 449 across 202 observational studies indexed under Death, Sudden, Cardiac.
Browse Death, Sudden, Cardiac studies →State University of New York at Buffalo is the lead sponsor of 294 studies on the registry; 63 are open to participants now.
Of its 19 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 15 (79%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The study population comprises adult patients of either sex with ischemic cardiomyopathy who have an ejection fraction ≤ 35% and New York Heart Association Class II or III CHF or an ejection fraction ≤ 30% and Class I CHF who are candidates to place an ICD for the primary prevention of SCA. Subjects already having a primary prevention ICD are eligible if they have not yet received an appropriate ICD shock for ventricular arrhythmias.
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Primary prevention patients with a Biventricular ICD
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Life expectancy
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A cardiac PET scan will be obtained to quantify the percentage of the left ventricle that is denervated and has reduced uptake of the sympathetic nerve tracer \[18F\]-LMI1195
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Events
The primary end-point will be SCA or ICD equivalent as used in PAREPET. This will consist of ICD therapies for ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia \>240 bpm, and adjudicated arrhythmic death using the modified Hinkle-Thaler criteria.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 years
All cause cardiac mortality
Adjudicated total cardiac mortality (SCA + non-sudden cardiac death).
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 years
All appropriate ICD therapies
Adjudicated appropriate ICD therapies (ICD shock and anti-tachycardia pacing) for ventricular arrhythmias. Appropriate ICD therapies will be determined from ICD device interrogation.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 years
Hospitalization for heart failure and myocardial infarction.
Interval hospitalizations for heart failure or myocardial infarction will be assessed via phone follow-up at 3 month intervals. Subjects having either will be invited to return for a repeat PET scan, echocardiogram and serum sampling to assess whether the underlying substrate for arrhythmogenesis has changed.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 years
PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Plan to share: Undecided
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Mar 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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State University of New York at Buffalo →