New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School demonstrates that using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging—known as CMR phenotyping—can help identify patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis who are at increased risk of sudden cardiac death.

The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.

Cardiac sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory heart disease that can result in rhythm disturbances and heart failure. Sarcoidosis is estimated to affect approximately 200,000 Americans. Some patients with this condition face a heightened risk of sudden cardiac arrest, which can be prevented with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).

In this study, researchers demonstrated that specific features visible on the CMR can be used to determine which patients would benefit from an ICD for primary prevention—streamlining and improving the decision-making process.

“Our research has developed a simpler and better way to identify which patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis are most likely to benefit from an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator that can prevent sudden cardiac death,” said Chetan Shenoy, MBBS, MS, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and cardiologist with M Health Fairview.

“Our findings can be applied immediately in clinical practice to help patients at risk.”

The research team recommends that CMR phenotyping become the standard approach for identifying patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis who are most at risk and thus, most likely to benefit from a preventive ICD.