Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), a type of
pacemaker inserted into the heart, can prevent sudden cardiac
deaths. Yet in those regions with the highest death rates from
heart disease, rates of ICD use are conversely the lowest.
100,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac death in the
UK. Most of these deaths occur when the heart's rhythm suddenly
goes out of sync, causing the heart to stop. But an 'inverse
care law' is effectively in operation in England, say the
report's authors, with areas with those most at risk given the
least amount of effective treatment. The West Midlands, North
West and South West were worst off, with the highest proportion
of heart disease sufferers but the lowest ICD implantation rates
across England. The study looked at ICD use over five years from
1998 to 2002. Though implantation rose approximately 250% over
that time, England still lags behind other European countries
and the US. Researchers also surveyed three quarters of ICD
implantation centres in England t