Neuromuscular Disease: Cardiac Manifestations and Sudden Death Risk

Worawan Limpitikul; Chin Siang Ong; Gordon F Tomaselli

doi:10.1016/j.ccep.2017.07.013

Neuromuscular Disease: Cardiac Manifestations and Sudden Death Risk

Card Electrophysiol Clin. 2017 Dec;9(4):731-747. doi: 10.1016/j.ccep.2017.07.013.

Authors

Worawan Limpitikul¹, Chin Siang Ong², Gordon F Tomaselli³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
³ Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: worawan.limpitikul@gmail.com.

PMID: 29173414
DOI: 10.1016/j.ccep.2017.07.013

Abstract

Cardiovascular complications of neuromuscular diseases disproportionately affect the cardiac conduction system. Cardiomyopathy and cardiac arrhythmias produce significant morbidity and mortality. Patients with neuromuscular diseases should be carefully and frequently evaluated for the presence of bradycardia, heart block, and tachyarrhythmias. Preemptive treatment with permanent pacemakers or implanted defibrillators is appropriate in patients with conduction system disease or who are at risk for ventricular arrhythmias.

Keywords: Arrhythmia; Conduction block; Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD); Muscular dystrophy; Pacemaker; Sudden death.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Arrhythmias, Cardiac
Death, Sudden, Cardiac*
Defibrillators, Implantable
Heart Block
Humans
Neuromuscular Diseases*
Risk Factors