OBJECTIVES: In 2008 the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published guidelines on the use of Implantable cardiac devices (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapies (CRTs) for primary and secondary prevention of heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest. An understanding of the number of persons in Western Europe that would be eligible for these therapies under the new guidelines is currently lacking. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of eligible persons for ICD and CRT in Western Europe according to the ESC guidelines. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify relevant prevalence data. Medline, Embase, PubMed, CRD York and The Cochrane Library databases were searched from 1990 to August 2008. Grey literature sources were also searched. Population-based epidemiological studies that included prevalence or incidence estimates of persons eligible for implantation of CRT or ICD devices according to the current 2008 ESC guidelines were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data from the included studies using a standard template. RESULTS: A total of 1583 unique articles were retrieved. No one study reported data that met the full eligibility criteria for ICDs or CRTs as outlined by the ESC guidelines.  Fifteen studies met partial criteria and were included for review. General population prevalence estimates of persons with individual risk factors such as; LVEF ≤35%, NYHA class II, III or IV, QRS prolongation (QRS≥120ms), 40 days post MI and survivors of ventricular fibrillation were retrieved from the literature. Preliminary modelling of this data identified significant gaps in the published estimates. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive systematic review of the literature has highlighted the lack of general population estimates for persons eligible for ICDs or CRTs according to the most recent guidelines. Further modelling of this data in combination with estimates from primary data sources is warranted.