New paradigms in the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest and heart failure treatment.

Congestive heart failure is a very real public health issue not only in the United States, but worldwide. Mortality in patients with congestive heart failure is typically either sudden cardiac death or pump failure. Paradoxically, patients with less severe heart failure are at higher relative risk of sudden cardiac death. Defining which patients are best treated with implantable defibrillators and resynchronization is the purpose of this review.