Some of these, such as family history and age, are not modifiable. Risk factors that contribute to atrial fibrillation are similar to those associated with other types of heart disease. There is no known particular reason why this occurs, but it is not uncommon. Supraventricular tachycardia is caused by the development of an extra cluster of cells before birth. Risk factors for cardiac arrhythmias vary, depending on the particular type of rhythm disorder. The heart’s electrical pathways may also be blocked by damaged heart muscle, such as after a myocardial infarction. Though the syndrome is often congenital, it can also be caused by certain medications or other medical conditions.īradycardias, or abnormally slow heartbeats, may be caused by conditions such as sick sinus syndrome, in which the heart’s sinus node does not send electrical impulses through the heart properly. Long QT syndrome raises an individual’s risk for fast, chaotic heartbeats that may cause fainting and can be life threatening. People with ARVD can also develop heart failure. It is less common than hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. People with HCM are also at risk for atrial fibrillation and heart failure.Īrrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD) is another cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes and other individuals. It is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people and in athletes. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an unusual but not uncommon cardiac genetic condition that causes a thickened heart muscle. Without prompt medical treatment, ventricular tachycardia may lead to ventricular fibrillation, a medical emergency that may lead to sudden death because the ventricles quiver chaotically and ineffectively instead of pumping blood. In ventricular tachycardia, abnormal electrical signals in the ventricles prevent them from filling and pumping blood efficiently. Medical treatment or cardioversion therapy may be required to return the heart to its normal rhythm. These are generally not life-threatening arrhythmias, but they can be quite irritating. An extra electrical pathway between the atria and the ventricles allows signals to bypass their normal route through the heart, causing abnormally rapid heartbeats. Supraventricular tachycardia includes arrhythmias originating in the upper chambers of the heart. While atrial flutter may also lead to serious complications, curing the condition can be fairly straightforward. In a small number of cases, atrial flutter results from ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation as the heart develops new electrical pathways to bypass the treated area. Treatments include anticoagulation and left atrial occlusion devices to prevent strokes, and antiarrhythmic drugs and ablation to prevent atrial fibrillation.Ītrial flutter is similar to AFib, but the abnormal heartbeat is more regular and can persist for many days or even weeks. Atrial fibrillation may be temporary and even asymptomatic, but it can lead to serious complications such as stroke. It is estimated to affect as many as one in every 10 people age 65 and over. The electrical activity spreads through the walls of the atria and causes them to contract, forcing blood into the ventricles.Īrrhythmias, or disruptions in the normal heartbeat, are classified by the area of the heart in which they originate as well as by the type of abnormal heartbeat they cause, such as tachycardia (overly rapid heartbeat) or bradycardia (abnormally slow heartbeat).Ītrial fibrillation (AFib) is a rapid, irregular heartbeat caused by chaotic electrical impulses in the heart’s atrium. The heartbeat is created by an electrical impulse originating in the right atrium. The heart’s upper chambers, or atria, serve as receptacles for blood, while the lower chambers, or ventricles, pump blood in and out of the heart. What Every Patient Should Know About Heart Rhythm Disorders
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