Heart rhythm, Volume 21, Issue 10, 16 3 2024, Pages 1779-1786 Comparing adolescent- and adult-onset unexplained cardiac arrest: Results from the Dutch Idiopathic VF Registry. Verheul LM, Hoeksema WF, Groeneveld SA, Mulder BA, Bootsma M, Alings M, Evertz R, Blank AC, Kammeraad JAE, Clur SB, Yap SC, Postema PG, Wilde AAM, Volders PGA, Hassink RJ
Background
Current cohorts of patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) primarily include adult-onset patients. Underlying causes of sudden cardiac arrest vary with age; therefore, underlying causes and disease course may differ for adolescent-onset vs adult-onset patients.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to compare adolescent-onset with adult-onset patients having an initially unexplained cause of VF.
Methods
The study included 39 patients with an index event aged ≤19 years (adolescent-onset) and 417 adult-onset patients from the Dutch Idiopathic VF Registry. Data on event circumstances, clinical characteristics, change in diagnosis, and arrhythmia recurrences were collected and compared between the 2 groups.
Results
In total, 42 patients received an underlying diagnosis during follow-up (median 7 [2-12] years), with similar yields (15% adolescent-onset vs 9% adult-onset; P = .16). Among the remaining unexplained patients, adolescent-onset patients (n = 33) had their index event at a median age of 17 [16-18] years, and 72% were male. The youngest patient was aged 13 years. In comparison with adults (n = 381), adolescent-onset patients more often had their index event during exercise (P <.01). Adolescent-onset patients experienced more appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy during follow-up compared with adults (44% vs 26%; P = .03). Inappropriate ICD therapy (26% vs 17%; P = .19), ICD complications (19% vs 14%; P = .41), and deaths (3% vs 4%; P = 1) did not significantly differ between adolescent-onset and adult-onset patients.
Conclusion
IVF may occur during adolescence. Adolescent-onset patients more often present during exercise compared with adults. Furthermore, they are more vulnerable to ventricular arrhythmias as reflected by a higher incidence of appropriate ICD therapy.
