What is an arrhythmia?

A cardiac arrhythmia is the medical term for an irregular heart beat or abnormal heart rhythm.

There are essentially two main things that can go wrong with the heart: the plumbing and the electrics. Many of us are keenly aware of the heart’s plumbing problems, yet we remain largely unaware of the electrical faults which cause an arrhythmia. Arrhythmias can occur in the upper chambers of the heart, (atria), or in the lower chambers of the heart, (ventricles). Arrhythmias may occur at any age. Some are barely perceptible, whereas others can be more dramatic and can even lead to sudden cardiac death.

In this ABC News video, Professor Ben Freedman, Prof. of Cardiology, Concord Hospital and spokesperson for Arrhythmia Alliance-Australia, raises awareness of atrial fibrillation (AF) and highlights a new diagnostic device that can screen for AF during World Heart Rhythm Week 2012.