Image-Based Prediction of Ventricular Tachycardia Events in Non-ischemic Cardiomyopathy An International Multicenter Study - The IMPROVE-NICM Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how to better predict the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and dangerous heart rhythms in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM), a heart condition affecting the left ventricle. Current methods based on low heart function do not adequately identify all patients at risk, as many with better heart function still suffer from sudden cardiac arrests. This study focuses on detailed heart tissue imaging (using late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance, LGE-CMR) to identify scar and border zone masses that might better predict these risks. The study uses advanced image processing software (ADAS 3D LV) to analyze scar tissue characteristics such as border zone mass and heterogeneous tissue channels (HTC) in the heart. It includes a main retrospective cohort study, a prospective validation cohort, and a retrospective subgroup analysis assessing changes in scar features over time. Participants are patients diagnosed with NICM without previous arrhythmia events, who have had or will have LGE-CMR scans as part of their clinical care. Participants will be followed for up to 100 months from their first CMR scan to see if they experience sudden cardiac death, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, or receive defibrillator therapy. Researchers will collect data on heart function, scar characteristics, patient age, and genetic information when available. No treatments are assigned by the study; it observes outcomes based on existing clinical data and imaging. The study aims to improve risk classification for these patients over a period of at least two years or more.

Image-Based Prediction of Ventricular Tachycardia Events in Non-ischemic Cardiomyopathy