Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Certain arrhythmias may increase your risk of developing conditions such as:

  • Stroke. When your heart quivers, it's unable to pump blood effectively, which can cause blood to pool. This can cause blood clots to form. If a clot breaks loose, it can travel to and obstruct a brain artery, causing a stroke. This may damage a portion of your brain or lead to death. For people who have atrial fibrillation, the medications warfarin (Coumadin) or dabigatran (Pradaxa) or rivaroxaban (Xarelto) may help prevent blood clots, which can cause a stroke.
  • Heart failure. This can result if your heart is pumping ineffectively for a prolonged period due to a bradycardia or tachycardia, such as atrial fibrillation. Sometimes controlling the rate of an arrhythmia that's causing heart failure can improve your heart's function.
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Arrhythmias. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/cardiovascular_disorders/arrhythmias_and_conduction_disorders/overview_of_arrhythmias.html. Accessed Jan. 29. 2013.
  2. What is an arrhythmia? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/arr/. Accessed Jan. 29, 2013.
  3. Substances & heart rhythm disorders. Heart Rhythm Society. http://www.hrsonline.org/Patient-Resources/Substances-Heart-Rhythm-Disorders#axzz2JbtJY5qH. Accessed Jan. 31, 2013.
  4. Stone CK, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=55753892. Accessed January 28, 2013.
  5. Wang, PJ, et al. Supraventricular tachycardia. Circulation. 2002;106:e206.
  6. Drugs with risk of Torsades de Pointes. Credible Meds. http://www.azcert.org/medical-pros/drug-lists/list-01.cfm?sort=Generic_name. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
  7. Drugs with possible risk of Torsades de Pointes. http://www.azcert.org/medical-pros/drug-lists/list-02.cfm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
  8. Understand your risk for arrhythmia. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Arrhythmia/UnderstandYourRiskforArrhythmia/Understand-Your-Risk-for-Arrhythmia_UCM_002024_Article.jsp. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
  9. Antithrombotic therapy supplement. Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement.https://www.icsi.org/_asset/bjr47w/Antithromb-Interactive0512.pdf. Accessed Jan. 29, 2013.
  10. Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate): Drug safety communication. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm282820.htm. Accessed Jan.28, 2013.
  11. Rix TA, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiac arrhythmias. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. In press. Accessed Jan. 29, 2013.
  12. U.S. News best hospitals: Cardiology & heart surgery. U.S. News and World Report. http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cardiology-and-heart-surgery. Accessed Feb. 1, 2013.
  13. Hands-only CPR fact sheet. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/HandsOnlyCPR/LearnMore/Learn-More_UCM_440810_FAQ.jsp. Accessed Feb. 10, 2013.
DS00290 Feb. 27, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger