# DANISH

Study · id `cardio:danish-trial` · Cardiovascular Atlas · release `73130c34862e2d06` (public)

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Also called: The DANISH Study

Browse, condition area: Heart rhythm problems  

## In plain language

A randomized trial in 1116 people with symptomatic heart failure that was not caused by coronary artery disease (ejection fraction 35% or less). Half received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and half received usual clinical care; in both groups 58% also received cardiac resynchronization therapy. After a median of 67.6 months, deaths from any cause were not significantly different (21.6% with an ICD, 23.4% with usual care). Sudden cardiac death was less frequent with an ICD (4.3% against 8.2%).

## Technical summary

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00542945: a randomized, parallel-group study with no masking, phase not applicable, with the Danish Study Group as lead sponsor (no organization record is kept for it here) and the Danish Heart Foundation as collaborator, status completed, start 2008-03, primary completion and completion 2016-06 (all actual), enrollment 1116 (actual), one location in Denmark. The primary outcome in the registry is all-cause mortality (time frame 5 years); the paper's median follow-up was 67.6 months. The abstract names Medtronic and others as funders (see the funded\_by link); the sources read do not say how that relates to the registry's sponsor. The record holds no results. The numbers are on the claim.

## Key facts

- Design: Randomized, controlled, parallel-group study with no masking (registry). 556 patients were assigned to an ICD and 560 to usual clinical care (abstract). The registry gives primary purpose prevention.
- Phase: Not applicable
- Enrolled: 1116 participants (enrolled count; Danish ICD Study in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy, snapshot `cardio:ctgov-nct00542945-2026-10-15`, retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Started: 2008-03 (actual) (Danish ICD Study in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy, snapshot `cardio:ctgov-nct00542945-2026-10-15`, retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Primary completion: 2016-06 (actual) (Danish ICD Study in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy, snapshot `cardio:ctgov-nct00542945-2026-10-15`, retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Completion: 2016-06 (actual) (Danish ICD Study in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy, snapshot `cardio:ctgov-nct00542945-2026-10-15`, retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Countries: Denmark (Danish ICD Study in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy, snapshot `cardio:ctgov-nct00542945-2026-10-15`, retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Care setting: Not reported
- Registry status: "COMPLETED" (U.S. National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov), snapshot `cardio:ctgov-nct00542945-2026-10-15`, retrieved 2026-10-15)

## Connected pages

- Tests an ICD against usual clinical care: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) (`cardio:implantable-cardioverter-defibrillator`)
- Lists heart failure as its first condition: Heart failure (`cardio:heart-failure`)
- Primary outcome in the registry (all cause mortality): Death from any cause (`core:outcome-death-any-cause`)
- Named in the paper abstract as a funder, with others: Medtronic (`cardio:medtronic`)

## Provenance

Content hash: f7bf407bfcb81847539b8ab4558e42f1f4294883689ba9a8fce9fa7aa66e80c6
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-15
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-15