UTILIZATION OF CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY IN AUSTRIA
M. Gwechenberger, C. Gangl, L. Krenn, M. Huelsmann
Medical University of Vienna, Department of Cardiology, Wien, Austria
Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a well established therapy in patients with heart failure and has been proven to reduce morbidity and mortality. However, there is still a gap between the number of patients with an indication for a CRT (according to the guidelines) and its actualutilization, with wide variations between different countries. Aim of the study was to investigate the utilization of CRT´s in Austria.
Methods and results: The calculations are based on a previously published models: Roughly 1-2% of the general population suffer from heart failure, of whom 10% have an indication for CRT, leading to 1000-2000 eligible patients per million inhabitants. The actual number of patients treated with a CRT was calculated from the sum of CRT implantations over five years (normalized / million). Statistics Austria was used as a source. The CRT penetration was definedas CRT patients treated with a CRT divided by the prevalence of patients eligible for CRT. As can be depicted in Table 1 the normalized implant rates increased over the years. In Austria an estimate of 660 patients normalized per million population received a CRT device, therefore the estimated CRT penetration range was 33-66% (Figure 1).
Conclusions:: Although implantrates increased over the years, the CRT penetration range is still not very high. Efforts should be made to improve the CRT utilization.
Figure 1.
![](./published/va_abstracts_2015/images/va_oral_2_6_1.jpg)
Population, annual CRT implants rates and normalized implant rates per million inhabitants
year |
Population1
Mill.
|
annualCRTimplants |
Normalized
Rates
|
2009 |
8.35 | 949 | 113.7 |
2010 | 8.37 | 1067 | 127.5 |
2011 | 8.40 | 1115 | 132.7 |
2012 | 8.44 | 1179 | 139.7 |
2013 | 8.49 | 1243 | 146.4 |