One in four patients with defibrillators experiences boost in heart function over time

A study of outcomes among 1,200 people with implanted defibrillators -- devices intended to prevent sudden cardiac death from abnormal heart rhythms -- shows that within a few years of implantation, one in four experienced improvements in heart function substantial enough to put them over the clinical threshold that qualified them to get a defibrillator in the first place. A report on the study reveals these patients had markedly lower risk of dying and were far less likely to suffer arrhythmia-...