Key findings include:

• Patients living with an ICD report high levels of emotional, physical and functional well-being, and are satisfied and able to adapt to living with the device.
• When analyzed against a control population, their experiences are comparable to average Americans of the same age.
• Driving, lifting heavy objects and sexual activity were the most common lifestyle concerns voiced by ICD patients during the quality of life survey, suggesting that physicians should routinely address these issues with patients when communicating expectations of living with the device and throughout long-term care.

According to Groeneveld, the quality of life benefits emerge from advances in ICD technology over the last decade resulting in smaller, more easily programmed devices which can more accurately respond to the needs of the individual patient.

"With an estimated one million Americans eligible for implantation today, it is extremely important to verify that ICDs deliver value on par with the health care dollars expended in most heart patients, even among the elderly," he said.