Background: In the last decade, there has been an exponential increase in cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implants. Remote monitoring systems, allow daily follow-ups of patients with ICD.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of remote monitoring on the management of cardiovascular events associated with supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias during long-term follow-up.
Methods: A total of 207 patients undergoing ICD implantation/replacement were enrolled: 79 patients received remote monitoring systems and were followed up every 12 months, and 128 patients were followed up conventionally every 6 months. All patients were followed up and monitored for the occurrence of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmia-related cardiovascular events (ICD shocks and/or hospitalizations).
Results: During a median follow-up of 842 days (interquartile range 476-1288 days), 32 (15.5%) patients experienced supraventricular arrhythmia-related events and 51 (24.6%) patients experienced ventricular arrhythmia-related events. Remote monitoring had a significant role in the reduction of supraventricular arrhythmia-related events, but it had no effect on ventricular arrhythmia-related events. In multivariable analysis, remote monitoring remained as an independent protective factor, reducing the risk of supraventricular arrhythmia-related events of 67% [hazard ratio, 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.13-0.82; P = 0.017].
Conclusion: Remote monitoring systems improved outcomes in patients with supraventricular arrhythmias by reducing the risk of cardiovascular events, but no benefits were observed in patients with ventricular arrhythmias.