Cardiac fibrosis on the rise: New findings save lives!

Cardiac fibrosis on the rise: New findings save lives!

Cardiac fibrosis is a progressive disease that leads to the formation of connective tissue in the heart muscle. This has serious consequences for the pump performance and can lead to disrupted electrical signal transmission. A recent study by the University of Freiburg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has shown that cardiac fibrosis can significantly contribute to cardiac arrhythmias, which can be particularly dangerous during physical exertion. Loud KIT The understanding of electrical conductivity in cardiac fibrosis has so far been insufficiently researched.

The research team used computer-based models and digital twins to deepen their findings. Optical imaging and 3D computer models of mouse hearts showed that the fibrotic tissue acts like a “low-pass filter” on electrical signals. This can lead to slowed or blocked transmission of electrical impulses. This is particularly relevant for arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart muscle disease that often occurs in young people.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a genetic disease of the heart muscle characterized by fibrofatty tissue in the myocardium. This condition can lead to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, such as NCBI describes. Previous assumptions that the right ventricle was primarily affected have turned out to be too narrow. The left ventricle can also be affected.

Diagnosis of this disease is often multiparametric, with specific criteria developed by international expert committees. Treatment aims to prevent sudden cardiac death and relieve the symptoms of heart failure. Possible treatment options include implantation of a defibrillator, drug therapies and catheter ablation.

Diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias

Doctors often make a preliminary diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia based on symptoms. Important factors are the occurrence of the palpitations and the circumstances in which they begin and end. Different diagnostic procedures are used to precisely determine the type and cause of arrhythmias. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is the most common way to record the electrical signals that trigger heartbeats, reports MSD.

Long-term heart rhythm monitoring can be performed using portable ECG machines that can be used for periods ranging from 24 hours to two weeks. In some cases, an implantable recording device may even be necessary to diagnose rare and dangerous arrhythmias.

The combination of modern research results on cardiac fibrosis and the established diagnostic methods for detecting cardiac arrhythmias could be of great benefit for clinical practice. Targeted stress tests are crucial for diagnosis, particularly in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies, and help to optimize diagnosis and treatment.