HEART RHYTHM PROBLEMS (CONCLUSION)

They're actually placed inside the chest surgically, where they react and kick the heart back into a normal rhythm pattern should it start beating dangerously. These tiny high-tech devices can save lives, and restore confidence to those who live in fear of fatal heart rhythm problems.

You may have heard some controversy about the use of antiarrhythmic drugs because of a study showing that in certain cases they can do more harm than good. In patients who were considered to be at high risk of lethal heart rhythm problems after a heart attack, certain antiarrhythmic drugs were used to try to prevent these life-threatening rhythm disturbances. It turned out that the drugs caused more deaths than they prevented! The moral of the story is that if you have a heart rhythm problem, you want a complete explanation of the location and type of disturbance, and a good reason why a certain drug or surgical procedure is being chosen. Not all heart rhythm problems are alike, not all treatments are alike, and the treatment you get can, in some cases, makes the difference between life and death.

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General health