The cardiac electrical system is responsible for controlling the heart rate and ensuring that the heart chambers are coordinated well. Although such a task may sound simple, it is indeed very complex as only a tenth of a second of difference in timing can impair the efficiency of the heartbeat and lead to cardiac arrhythmias.
Want to know more? Let’s have a closer look at the causes of cardiac arrhythmias and risk factors.
Cardiac Arrhythmias Risk Factors
If you want to reduce the risk of suffering from cardiac arrhythmias the best thing you could do is try to eliminate the risk of developing heart disease. Doing so can be quite a challenge for some people, yet it is definitely worth the effort. So, here’s a list of the main lifestyle factors to consider when trying to minimize the risk of heart disease:
- Quit smoking
- Exercise regularly
- Manage diabetes
- Lose weight, if overweight or obese
- Manage cholesterol and triglycerides
Cardiac Arrhythmias Causes
- Autonomic Imbalance
Breathing, sweating, and heart rate are only a few examples of bodily functions that don’t require conscious thinking. These and other similar functions are controlled by the autonomic nervous system.
The main cause of bradycardias (slow heart rate) and tachycardias (fast heart rate) is overstimulation of the vagal or sympathetic tone, respectively. The trick to treating arrhythmias caused by autonomic imbalance is to eliminate the cause of the excessive vagal or sympathetic tone. And, once the balance is restored, the arrhythmias typically go away.
- Heart Disease
As already mentioned, heart disease may severely impact and increase the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias. Namely, regardless of the type of heart disease, the condition can affect the electrical system of the heart and lead to arrhythmias. Such arrhythmias can range from completely benign premature atrial complexes to very malignant ventricular fibrillation.
In addition, the most common heart disease resulting in lethal heart rate disturbances is ischemic heart disease. Apart from ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy can also produce life-threatening issues. And, those who have had heart failure or heart attacks are also at higher risk of sudden death.
- Drugs
Next, people who are already at a higher risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias, like those with underlying heart disease or a genetic problem, have to be careful with several drugs which can cause an arrhythmia to happen.
Precisely speaking, the following is a list of drugs commonly linked with arrhythmias:
- Antiarrhythmic drugs – disopyramide, quinidine, procainamide, dofetilide, and sotalol.
- Antibiotics – azithromycin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and clarithromycin.
- Non-sedating antihistamines – astemizole and terfenadine.
- Psychotropic drugs – haloperidol, methadone, and Thorazine.
- Digoxin
- Cocaine
- Alcohol (binge drinking).
- Genetic Disorders
Last but not least, in the last two decades, researchers have been able to point out some specific genetic mutations that cause cardiac arrhythmias. In other words, those arrhythmias were considered mysterious, i.e. idiopathic, in the past but are now medically explained.
Here’s a brief list of the cardiac arrhythmias that are now known to be caused by a genetic mutation:
- Brugada syndrome
- Long QT syndrome
- Sick sinus syndrome
- Certain types of heart block and bundle branch block
- Some types of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia
- Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
This list may increase as researchers are constantly trying to determine more genetically mediated arrhythmias. Based on the type of arrhythmia, genetic testing may be required. Yet, it is a personal decision whether or not one wants to be tested.