What is an Arrhythmia?
A cardiac arrhythmia is the medical term for an irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythm.
Information & Advice For Arrhythmia Patients
Accurate, medically-approved information for patients from the Arrhythmia Alliance. Please follow the links below for a wealth of information on heart rhythm disorders and the activities of the world's leading heart rhythm charity.
Types of Arrhythmia
Arrhythmias can be categorised in many different ways. Find out more here.
Diagnosis
Routine manual pulse checks can detect many arrhythmias for diagnostic testing.
Treatments
Treatment will depend on the type, severity and cause of the arrhythmia diagnosed.
Patient Stories
Your words can support and reassure patients on the road through treatment.
Videos
Videos regarding arrhythmias. From patients sharing their stories to specialists offering expert insight into heart rhythm conditions.
News & updates
Cardiac tachyarrhythmias and patient values and preferences for their management
Cardiac tachyarrhythmias are recurrent or chronic and in some cases life-threatening conditions. Heart rhythm disturbances are often highly symptomatic and the psychological impact of the disease can be significant. Patients' beliefs and knowledge about their health (and illness), medications, and healthcare they receive are important determinants of whether or not they accept recommended treatments; influence their coping responses to their illness and treatment; adherence to recommended therapy; and ultimately affects health outcomes. Incorporation of patients' values and preferences for therapy should now be considered as an integral part of the decision-making process and treatment strategy. It is important to acknowledge and understand the impact of cardiac tachyarrhythmias on the patient. To address this issue, a Task Force was convened by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), and endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estimulación Cardíaca y Electrofisiología (SOLEACE), with the remit to comprehensively review the published evidence available, to publish a joint consensus document on patient values and preferences for the management of cardiac tachyarrhythmias, and to provide up-to-date consensus recommendations for use in clinical practice.
Read more [external link]Screening strategies for atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis
A national screening programme for atrial fibrillation is likely to represent a cost-effective use of resources, with systematic opportunistic screening more likely to be cost-effective than systematic population screening. Nurse pulse palpation or modified blood pressure monitors would be appropriate screening tests, with confirmation by diagnostic 12-lead electrocardiography interpreted by a trained GP, with referral to a specialist in the case of an unclear diagnosis. Implementation strategies to operationalise uptake of systematic opportunistic screening in primary care should accompany any screening recommendations.
Read more [external link]
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