The impact of transvenous cardioverter-defibrillator implantation on quality of life, depression and optimism in dialysis patients: report on the secondary outcome of QOL in the randomized controlled ICD2 trial

RATIONALE: The impact of prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation on the psychological well-being of patients on dialysis is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the effect of primary ICD implantation on quality of life (QoL), mood and dispositional optimism in patients undergoing dialysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a prespecified subanalysis of the randomized controlled ICD2 trial. In total, 177 patients on chronic dialysis, with an age of 55–81 years, and a left ventricular ejection fraction of ≥ 35%, were included in the per-protocol analysis. Eighty patients received an ICD for primary prevention, and 91 patients received standard care. The Short Form-36 (SF-36), Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) questionnaires were administered prior to ICD implantation (T0), and at 1-year follow-up (T1) to assess QoL, depression and optimism, respectively. The patients were predominantly male (76.0%), with a median age of 67 years. Hemodialysis was the predominant mode of dialysis (70.2%). The GDS-15 score difference (T1 − T0) was 0.5 (2.1) in the ICD group compared with 0.3 (2.2) in the control group (mean difference − 0.3; 95% CI − 1.1 to 0.6; P = 0.58). The LOT-R score difference was − 0.2 (4.1) in the ICD group compared with − 1.5 (4.0) in the control group (mean difference − 1.1 (0.8); 95% CI − 2.6 to 0.4; P = 0.17). The mean difference scores of all subscales of the SF-36 were not significantly different between randomization groups. CONCLUSIONS: In our population of patients on dialysis, ICD implantation did not affect QoL, mood or dispositional optimism significantly during 1-year follow-up. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Unique identifier: ISRCTN20479861. http://www.controlled-trials.com. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11136-020-02744-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorised users.