German biomedical device company Biotronik has initiated its Prospective Assessment of Risk Factors for Appropriate ICD Intervention in Patients with Ischemic Cardiomyopathy (PARCADIA) multicenter study.
The primary objective of PARCADIA is to explore the potential of myocardial scar assessed by MRI as a predictor for appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) intervention, Biotronik said. Myocardial scar can be a precursor to ventricular arrhythmias in ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Dr. Arif Elvan, coordinating clinical investigator at Isala Clinics in Zwolle, the Netherlands, noted that late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac MRI has high sensitivity in detecting the amount of myocardial scar and, thus, may be useful in predicting future arrhythmic events.
Other study objectives include identifying baseline risk factors that could help design a risk score system based on MRI data, 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram data, and blood analysis information.
The first patient in the study has been enrolled at Isala Clinics, the company said.