RCT of Implantable Defibrillators in Patients With Non Ischemic Cardiomyopathy, Scar and Severe Systolic Heart Failure

To join this study, you must have been diagnosed with heart failure not caused by blocked arteries (Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy), which has been confirmed by a special heart scan (MRI). Your heart must also show some scarring on this scan. Your heart failure symptoms should be manageable with medication (not severely limiting your daily activities), and despite taking the best available medicines for at least three months, your heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle) still isn't working as well as it should.

You would not be able to take part if your heart failure symptoms are very severe (meaning you're breathless even at rest or with very little activity). You also can't participate if you've recently had a sudden worsening of your heart failure, or if you already have a pacemaker or a similar implanted device. The study also excludes people with heart failure caused by blocked arteries, or those with specific other heart conditions where defibrillator treatment guidelines are already clear. People who have certain other serious conditions that might limit their life expectancy to less than two years, or who are pregnant, would also not be able to join.

If you join the BRITISH study, there's a 50/50 chance, like flipping a coin, that you'll either receive an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) or continue with your usual heart failure treatment without one. The doctors leading the study decide this randomly, and neither you nor your doctor can choose. Everyone taking part will have regular check-ups to monitor their heart health. The study will closely follow participants for at least 3 years, and potentially up to 10 years, to see how everyone is doing. All participants will continue to receive the best available medical treatment for their heart failure, regardless of whether they have an ICD or not.