Boca Raton, FL - June 28, 2011 - Responding to a recent study showing that 40% of patients who receive CRT-ICD therapy do not benefit from the device (Sipahi, et al - 6/13/11), Wojciech Zareba, MD, PhD, stated that improving risk stratification of heart failure patients eligible for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (CRT-D) is essential. He notes that patients with left bundle branch block QRS morphology derived the most benefit from CRT-D, however, additional methods are needed to further ensure benefit of this therapy. Dr. Zareba is Professor of Medicine, Director of Cardiology Clinical Research, and Director of the Heart Research Follow-up Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He was the Principal Investigator on a study conducted under a collaborative agreement between Vicor Technologies, and the University of Rochester and the Catalan Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in Barcelona. Vicor Technologies is a biotechnology company focused on the commercialization of its PD2i Analyzer™, an innovative, non-invasive diagnostic employing its patented, proprietary PD2i® nonlinear algorithm. Physician use of the PD2i Analyzer™ is supported by an expanding body of literature documenting the PD2i® nonlinear algorithm as a metric for risk stratifying specific target populations for future pathological events, including diabetics for the presence of diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN), cardiovascular disease patients for death resulting from arrhythmia or congestive heart failure, and trauma victims for imminent death absent immediate lifesaving intervention.

Dr. Zareba is a world-renowned cardiac researcher. He serves as Principal Investigator of ECG Core Labs' studies, including the International LQTS Registry, the North American ARVD Registry, MADIT II, and MADIT-CRT, and large clinical trials testing the clinical effectiveness and safety of implantable cardiac defibrillators and resynchronization devices. Additionally, he served as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on numerous NIH- and corporate-funded studies focused on risk stratification of cardiac death and, clinical usefulness and prognostic significance of ECG parameters.

"Given the overburdened state of our health system, we cannot afford to have patients receive expensive therapies like ICDs and CRT-Ds that are not beneficial. Specifically, we need to more accurately identify those patients - specifically those at highest risk for cardiac and heart failure morbidity and mortality -- who will benefit from interventions that can reduce the enormous expenditures associated with heart failure decompensation, most significantly hospital/ICU admissions. Early intervention targeting those at highest risk for future decompensation may well help avoid costly re-admissions later," Dr. Zareba stated.

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