Ventricular pre-excitation syndrome is a complex heart disorder. In fact, it includes several pathologies which consist of a part of the heart (the ventricle) contracts earlier than it should. In this way, the entire heart rhythm is altered.
The heart is the organ responsible for pumping blood to all parts of the body. It works thanks to electrical impulses that contract the muscle in a rhythmic and coordinated way.
In this way, the normal sequence is for the upper chambers, called the atria, to contract first, and then the blood moves to the ventricles. The latter, by contracting, pushes the blood towards the large blood vessels. The circulation is then distributed to all tissues of the body.
The problem is that when this mechanism is disturbed, blood distribution can suffer. In this article we explain what happens in ventricular preexcitation syndrome and why it is so important to know about it.
What is ventricular pre-excitation syndrome?
The heart works with electrical impulses. The impulse is generated in a specific area of ​​the right atrium, called sinus node. From there it is transmitted to the other atrium and ventricles, so that they contract in a coordinated way.
What happens in ventricular preexcitation syndrome is that an electrical impulse reaches the ventricle earlier than normal. Thus, the lower part of the heart contracts early and disrupts the natural rhythm of the heart muscle.
The origin is the existence of an abnormal conduction pathway. That is, there is a different path through which impulses are directed to the ventricle. This is why people who suffer from it have a greater tendency to have tachycardia or arrhythmias.
When an arrhythmia occurs, the heart may not be pumping blood hard enough to all parts of our body. You are even more susceptible to cardiac arrest. That’s why it’s so important to detect these anomalies early and correct them.
What are ventricular preexcitation syndromes?
Several pathologies are included in the ventricular preexcitation syndrome. First of all, we find the syndrome of Wolff Parkinson White. It is a disease that affects about 4 people for every 100,000 inhabitants of the world.
This ventricular pre-excitation syndrome is usually detected incidentally. While it is true that tachycardia and symptoms appear in many cases, it is also true there are many people who are asymptomatic. It’s also not usually life-threatening.
The symptoms that occur most frequently are palpitations, feeling tired and anxious. It is also common to find shortness of breath, dizziness and even pain in the chest.
The problem is the complications that arise from the syndrome. If the heartbeat is too fast or arrhythmic, fainting and even sudden cardiac arrest will result.
Another ventricular pre-excitation syndrome is Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome.. It affects 1 in 50,000 people and shares many similar characteristics with the former. However, its characteristics are still being studied further. There is no evidence that there is an increased risk of sudden death.
Should these syndromes be treated?
Most cases are discovered by accident, as they do not produce any symptoms. Therefore, the need for treatment depends on the severity of the disease, the symptoms and the arrhythmia that occurs.
If therapy is needed, there are several options. Some patients are prescribed antiarrhythmic drugs or others that slow the heart rate. Another alternative is to have surgery to remove the accessory pathway causing the out-of-place beat.
The arrhythmias are serious
Arrhythmias, although they may go undetected, require medical attention. They constitute extremely accurate cardiological pictures, even more so if the alteration is anatomical, i.e. there are changes in the conformation of the heart.
In ventricular preexcitation syndrome, the heart rhythm may be abnormal and, if it occurs repeatedly or intensely, the patient will approach fainting or cardiorespiratory arrest. If you have abnormal heartbeats, see a cardiologist as soon as possible..
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