According to a recent article, professional athletes have been forced into early retirement due to arrhythmias. Arrhythmias, which are potentially fatal, affect those who exercise too much at a higher rate.
Malignant Arrhythmias
The heart has a frequency between 60 and 100 beats per minute typically. When the rhythm of the heartbeat changes, it’s called an arrhythmia.
There are a number of different types of arrhythmias that involve the heart. The most common types are atrial fibrillation (AF) or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (TPSV). These types are able to be treated with drugs or electrical cardioversion. Malignant arrhythmias can only be treated with early defibrillation and cardiac massage.
How Arrhythmias Are Diagnosed
When it comes to arrhythmias, it’s important to look at more than just the frequency when it comes to getting diagnosed. The type of rhythm also needs to be determined. In the case of malignant arrhythmias, they are caused by ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation and are potentially fatal to the patient as they cause very high frequencies. The high frequencies then make it so that the ventricles of the heart cannot work properly and stop supplying the organ and tissues.
Furthermore, it is possible to predict malignant arrhythmias. Being able to predict arrhythmias is especially vital for professional athletes who exercise more frequently than the average person is meant to. Using ECGs, echocardiograms, or cardiac magnetic resonance, arrhythmias can be predicted. Of course, arrhythmias can happen that are unpredictable, but there is a very low percentage.
Athletes must undergo performance and stress tests to detect any anomalies. If an athlete is determined to be at risk for an arrhythmia or other type of heart condition, it can lead their careers to be cut short.
Causes of Malignant Arrhythmias
Anomalies such as arrhythmogenic dysplasia and dilated or hypertrophic heart disease attribute to the cause of malignant arrhythmias. These conditions all have a genetic basis that can develop over the years and are able to be detected by an arrhythmologist.
Preventative Measures
Experts have determined that lifestyle does have a significant impact on malignant arrhythmias. If a patient smokes, has high cholesterol, and a sedentary lifestyle, it puts them more at-risk of malignant arrhythmias. Although it is often forgotten, a patient’s eating habits do affect their heart. The heart and the stomach are both innervated by the vagus nerve, making them connected. Slow rates of digestion, certain medications, enzyme deficiencies, and reduced stomach acid slows the blood flow to the heart are linked to these arrhythmias as well. In addition, an abundance of caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco are linked to occasionally fatal arrhythmias.
There is a lot of speculation about how exercise can affect arrhythmias. While physical activity can be a risk factor, it only is when done too often. Moderate exercise is recommended for the health of most individuals, therefore as long as people exercise the appropriate amount, they should not fear too much. In fact, a moderate amount of exercise acts as an excellent defense against malignant arrhythmias.
