Daily Iowan

Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Metro

"We shouldn't be alarmist about the number of eligible patients who are getting devices," she said. "We're getting better and better all the time at educating people."

Economic factors could also be involved. In most cases, insurance will cover the device, but it depends on how clear it is that the device would be beneficial, Martins said. In the study group that did not receive the therapy, 7 percent had no insurance.

Martins also mentioned that approximately 20 to 30 percent of devices will shock a patient for a non-life-threatening rhythm, which can make life "miserable" for the patient.

"Some patients may recall that some defibrillators were malfunctioning, and that's true," Martins said. "It received a fair amount of press. All the manufacturers had recalls."

The study was also accompanied by another study which suggested that men are two to three times more likely to receive a defibrillator than women.

Johnson said she didn't know if discrimination was involved but generally, women develop heart problems much later in life than men, which could be a factor.

Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

E-mail DI reporter Alyssa Cashman at:
alyssa-cashman@uiowa.edu

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