Cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, discovered the possible underlying cause

An Italian study conducted by the Polyclinic Foundation of A. Gemelli University Irccs – Catholic University of the Sacred Heart – showed that in 75% of cases originally arrhythmias characterizing Brugada syndrome, a pathology rare genetic that changes the electrical activity of the heart, there is an abnormality of the heart muscle itself and abnormal inflammatory state. With the results of research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, it will now be possible to understand which patients may be suffering from arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

Possible causes of fatal arrhythmias

"Thanks to this work, we have also demonstrated the presence of significant alterations of the heart muscle in the majority of patients, who are at the base of electrical alterations and fatal arrhythmias," says Antonio Oliva, of the # 39; Institute of Public Health of the University. Catholic and coordinator of studies.
"This discovery, in addition to important prognostic meanings, will probably also have significant therapeutic repercussions," continues the expert. "In the United States, the efficacy of anti-inflammatory cortisone therapy in addition to conventional treatments has already been tested to eradicate severe arrhythmias in patients with the syndrome," Oliva concludes.
According to Filippo Crea, director of the department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Sciences at the Polyclinic Agostino Gemelli, research has shown that in addition to genetic alterations, even an inflammation of the heart can cause Brugada syndrome. This revelation "opens new avenues for the identification of patients with Brugada syndrome at high risk of sudden death requiring the implantation of a defibrillator".

The contribution of the Téléthon Foundation

The Telethon Foundation supported the study by granting a loan to Maurizio Pieroni of the Cardiovascular and Neurological Department of San Donato Hospital of Arezzo and Professor Antonio Oliva. The research was conducted in collaboration with Ramon Brugada of the Spanish University of Girona, the cardiologist who discovered the existence of pathology.
Usually, the disease is diagnosed in adulthood and more often affects the male bad (with an incidence eight to ten times higher than that of the female bad).

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