New Delhi: People with a family history of Brugada Syndrome a heart rhythm disorder have 70 per cent higher chances of having the same life threatening problem, said doctors.
The doctors on said Thursday that despite being life threatening at times, Brugada Syndrome does not have any symptoms due to which every patient with repeated symptoms of fainting, irregular heartbeats or palpitations and extremely fast and chaotic heartbeats should consult doctors.
According to the doctors, Brugada Syndrome can also be explained as sudden cardiac arrest without any symptoms.
“In this syndrome, special cells in the right upper chamber of the heart trigger electrical impulses, which are directed by tiny pores known as channels to make a heartbeat. A defect in these channels can cause the heart to beat abnormally and spin electrically out of control in an abnormally fast and dangerous rhythm (ventricular fibrillation) causing Brugada Syndrome,” said Subhash Chandra, Chairman and Head of Cardiology at city-based BLK Super Specialty Hospital.
Explaining further, Chandra said that during Brugada Syndrome, there is ineffective pumping of the heart that causes insufficiency of blood supply to the rest of the body.
“This causes fainting if the rhythm lasts for only a short time or sudden cardiac death if the heart remains in that bad rhythm,” added Chandra.
The doctors said that Brugada Syndrome is more common among men and can only be detected on an ECG with abnormal patterns known as type 1 Brugada ECG pattern.
Talking about the causes of Brugada Syndrome, Shashank Gupta with the cardiology department at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital said: “Although people are born with it, they usually do not know they have it until they reach their 30s or 40s.”
“Brugada Syndrome usually is diagnosed in adults and, sometimes, in adolescents. It’s rarely diagnosed in young children. If other family members have had Brugada Syndrome, then there is a high chances of having the condition.”
Brugada Syndrome occurs more frequently in Indians than in other races.
