Abstract 16005: OptiVol® Impedance Threshold Crossing Predicts Higher Mortality and Hospitalization Risk Among Medicare Recipients

Introduction: The long-term prognostic value of Optivol® measurements on clinical events and mortality in a real-world cohort of cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) patients with Medicare coverage is unknown. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that OptiVol® threshold crossings would be associated with increased adjusted risk of patient mortality and heart failure-related hospitalizations in Medicare patients. Methods: A cohort combining the Medicare Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Registry data (implanted in 2005 and 2006), Medicare claims data, and data from Medtronic’s CareLink® Network were analyzed via an extended Cox model to assess the associations of impedance threshold crossings (OptiVol®) with both patient mortality and heart failure-related hospitalization. OptiVol® crossings were treated as time-dependent covariates. Results: N= 1,565 patients with OptiVol®-enabled CRT devices were included in this analysis. The median follow-up was 6.3 years. An OptiVol® crossing at any poi...