Heart Rhythm Week 2015: detect, protect, and correct arrhythmias

Do you know what a heart rhythm disorder is? What it means and how to help prevent it? This year, Heart Rhythm Week takes place from 1-7 June and continues its mission raise awareness and understanding of arrhythmias.

To show our support for Heart Rhythm Week, organized by Arrhythmia Alliance, we asked Editor in Chief of EP-Europace, Professor John Camm, and expert in atrial fibrillation, to answer some questions on the topic.

It is said cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer in Europe, with one in four people developing a heart rhythm disorder (cardiac arrhythmia) in their lifetime. Can you briefly explain what is meant by a heart rhythm disorder?

About one in 1,500 die of sudden cardiac death, largely due to an arrhythmia. One in four develop atrial fibrillation at some time in their life – a potentially dangerous arrhythmia but not directly life-threatening. A heart rhythm disorder is when the rhythm originates from a part of the heart which is not the natural pacemaker, and is usually abnormally too fast or too slow.

What are the key symptoms of heart rhythm disorders?

The patient may feel palpitations – awareness of the heart beating in the chest – rapidly, slowly, forcefully, or irregularly. Dizziness or loss of consciousness may occur. Sometimes chest pain or breathlessness may be the most prominent symptoms. When the heart rhythm disorder remains for a long period the outstanding symptoms can be tiredness or fatigue.

How we can reduce our own risk of developing a heart rhythm disorder? 

Some rhythm disorders can be avoided by reducing the chance of developing other heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure. In some situations potentially toxic substances (alcohol, coffee, coke) should be avoided to prevent rhythm disorders.

What is the latest progress in the field of heart rhythm disorders?

There is a lot of progress being made in this area. For instance, the use of heart rhythm monitors, which are implanted under the skin to diagnose arrhythmias, the ability to map the electrical system of the heart to identify and then destroy or isolate the trouble spots from which the abnormal rhythm originates, and the discovery of genetic causes of rhythm disturbances.

What do you see as the priorities for future cardiology research? Where will the next great advances be?

Again for rhythm disturbances – the development of drugs that prevent rhythm disorders, the identification of patients at risk of suffering from sudden cardiac death, and the use of medications that stop the heart muscle being converted into scar tissue.