title: Implantable defibrillators and beta-blockers in patients with left ventricular dysfunction: economic, ethical, and legal considerations.
abstract: This article is going to be somewhat different than the typical article you might read on the treatment of heart failure. My goal is to get you to think in a different way about the use of primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillators and beta-blockers in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Specifically, using the results from 3 landmark clinical trials--MADIT II, SCD-HeFT, and COMET--I am going to discuss the economic, ethical, and legal principles that underpin the use of these 2 therapies in patients with heart failure.
authors: Raleigh Cardiology Associates, Raleigh, NC 27610-1231, USA. marctsilvermd@msn.com
authors: Marc T
authors: MT
authors: Silver
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists