Abnormal Electrical Activity in the Heart can Increase Death Rate from Strokes

Have you ever wondered why a stroke can be a relatively minor event in some people, and a death sentence for others? A recent study shows by the University of Rochester School of Medicine shows that patients with abnormal electrical impulses in the heart are at a much more likely to die within 90 days when they suffer an ischemic stroke.

According to recent research, when a patient’s QTc intervals are greater than 438 milliseconds (in men) and 440 milliseconds (in women) their prognosis after suffering a stroke is not good. QTc intervals are a measurement of the heart’s electrical activity, and are detected with EKG machines.

One important finding in this study was that Emergency Room staff members often forget to review a patient’s current prescription medications to determine they could play a role in lengthening their QTc intervals. When a QTc interval is too long, electrical signals take longer to pass through the heart’s ventricles. A simple EKG machine can diagnose this type of disorder in patients.

Not all electrical abnormalities of the heart are caused by prescription drugs, however. In many cases, it is caused by a genetic disorder or congenital heart disease. EKG machines, which measure the electrical waves in the heart, as well as other cardiology tests, are used to determine the cause of the disorder.

Further research must be done to measure the relationship between QTc intervals and high death rates from an acute ischemic stroke. A recent Mayo Clinic study revealed that only 70% of patients with longer QTc intervals survived for three months after an ischemic stroke, while 87 percent of those without the disorder survived. Also, among those with prolonged electrical intervals who did survive past 90 days, their functionality was poorer than those with normal heart activity.

Overall, doctors should pay close attention to the electrical activity of their patients’ hearts, especially in patients with chronic heart disease. This can be done through regular testing on an EKG machine.