Amiodarone with Beta Blocker Aids Patients with Defibrillators
Amiodarone (e.g., Pacerone®) plus a beta blocker can make life easier for patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), according to the Optimal Pharmacological Therapy in Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Patients (OPTIC) trial, sponsored by St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota. The researchers said that the combination drug treatment cut the risk of delivered shocks by 73% over one year.
After a St. Jude Medical dual-chamber ICD was implanted in 412 patients with life-threatening arrhythmia, the annual risk of shock dropped to only 10% with the generic amiodarone combination treatment, compared with a rate of 24% with sotalol (Betapace tablet, Bristol-Myers Squibb) and a rate of 39% with beta blockers alone.
Sotalol generic was less well tolerated than the amiodarone/beta-blocker combination; 24% of patients taking it stopped, compared with 18% of those taking amiodarone.
The dramatically reduced shock rates with the dual-drug regimen may alleviate some of the anxieties that plague many patients with ICDs. Another researcher said that between 64% and 69% of patients reported “daily preoccupation” with their device during the first couple of months after implantation. The emotional toll can include depression, fears about the device going off, and preoccupation with body image.
