Arrhythmia

    An arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat that may be unusually fast or unusually slow. It may be related to a previous heart condition (e.g., previous damage from a heart attack) or to other factors (e.g., caffeine, stress, not getting enough sleep). In the majority of cases, a skipped beat is not medically significant. The most serious arrhythmias, however, contribute to approximately 500,000 deaths in the United States each year according to the American Heart Association. Sudden cardiac death (“cardiac arrest”) is responsible for approximately one-half of all deaths due to heart disease, and is the number one cause of death in the US, according to the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology.
    Diagnosing an arrhythmia is very important, because the longer an arrhythmia lasts without detection or treatment,  the greater the chances of permanent damage and additional heart malfunction. Diagnosis may be done through noninvasive tests such as an EKG (electrocardiogram) or an event monitor, or it may be done through a more invasive test such as an electrophysiology study.
    Most nonsustained arrhythmias need no treatment (other than lifestyle changes, perhaps). Other arrhythmias require treatment, which may include medications, a catheter ablation and/or surgery to implant either an artificial pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator

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