The risk assessment for ventricular arrhythmia in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy is, at the present time, unspecific. Left ventricular (LV) entropy is a measure of myocardial heterogeneity derived from single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

This study assesses the utility of LV entropy for predicting cardiovascular events in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy referred for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation were included retrospectively. Their LV entropy was measured on SPECT. Patients were followed from implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement to detect arrhythmic events (appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy and sustained ventricular arrhythmia), end-stage heart failure events (congestive heart failure, transplantation, or ventricular assist device placement), and cardiac death.

Forty patients (mean age 68.1±9.4 years, 75% men, LV ejection fraction 29.7±4.6%) were followed for 22.8±12.9 months. Of the forty patients, three (7.5%) experienced arrhythmic events, one died of advanced heart failure after receiving the appropriate shock, and three others (7.5%) experienced end-stage heart failure events. On univariate analysis, age (HR: 1.02 [0.99; 1.04]; P=0.176); diabetes (HR: 0.30 [0.05; 1.68]; P=0.17), CRT-D (HR: 0.06 [0.007; 0.53]; P=0.01), NYHA class (HR: 7.6 [2.00; 29.5]; P=0.003) and ischemia (HR: 1.07 [0.96; 1.18]; P=0.19) were significant predictors of cardiac events. On multivariate analysis, CRT-D (HR: 0.06 [0.04; 0.89]; P=0.04) remained a significant predictor of cardiac events. LV entropy was not a predictor of cardiac events.

In patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, LV entropy measurement is not a predictor of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia. However, CRT-D is a strong protector of ventricular arrhythmia in ischemic cardiomyopathy.