Types Of Tachycardia
There are several types of tachycardia. This condition is defined as an increase in heart rate, that is, the number of heart beats per unit of time. According to the US National Library of Medicine, this pathology falls within arrhythmias, including brachycardia (decreased heart rate) and irregular pulse.
Clinical studies estimate that the incidence of sudden cardiac death in the general population is 1 in 1000 people per year in Western Europe. Despite the low percentage of the population affected, it is essential to know the types of cardiac alterations to be prepared. On this occasion, we address in detail the forms of tachycardia.
About tachycardias and their distribution
Before immersing ourselves fully in these arrhythmic processes, we are interested in shedding some data collected by epidemiological studies that put into perspective the importance of tachycardias at a global level. We show you some representative figures:
- Supraventricular tachycardias, which we will describe in later sections, affect 0.4 to 1% of the population, especially the elderly.
- Syndrome Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) , heart pathology involved tachycardias, has an estimated incidence of 0, 04 people per 1000 individuals. Of course, its sudden death rate can reach 4%.
- Focal atrial tachycardia affects 0.34% of the young population, although these are asymptomatic.
As we can see, eventual tachycardias are episodes that anyone can experience, but that these are translated into pathologies is more complex. Their incidence is very low, but even so, understanding them is essential to rule out a serious clinical picture.
Types of tachycardia
There are many types of tachycardias, as they are classified according to the origin and cause of the abnormally fast heartbeat. Next, we show you the most relevant ones.
Supraventricular tachycardia
According to specialized bibliographic sources, supraventricular tachycardia is defined as that which occurs somewhere above the ventricles of the heart (sinus node or atrial tissue, for example). Their general incidence is 2.25 per 1000 inhabitants, so they are rare.
Even so, the source cited above collects that people with associated pathologies, such as cerebrovascular accidents (when the blood does not reach the brain correctly) or patients with a previous diagnosis of heart failure, are much more likely to suffer it.
Ventricular tachycardia
Ventricular tachycardia is caused by abnormal electrical signals in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). These episodes of ventricular tachycardia are of two types:
- Non-sustained: short, lasting a couple of seconds without causing major problems. They affect 0.8% of the population without previous heart disease.
- Sustained: longer duration. They can be a medical emergency.
Ventricular fibrillation
Articles in specialized cardiology journals point out that this type of tachycardia is dangerous. It happens when accelerated electrical impulses prevent the ventricles from pumping blood properly. This can cause sudden death if you don’t act quickly.
In most cases (75% to 80%), sudden death from ventricular fibrillation is accompanied by previous coronary heart disease. The only possible treatment to prevent the death of the patient is the use of a defibrillator, which causes the restoration of the normal electrical activity of the heart.
Atrial fibrillation
The mechanism of this variant is the same as the previous one, but in this case the chaotic electrical impulses occur in the atria. As detailed in a study published in Circulation Research , it is the most common variant in clinical and surgical practice.
The prevalence is 0.4 to 1%, a much higher value than previously shown. It is also estimated to account for one third of all admissions for heart rhythm disorders.
The risk factors for suffering it are the following:
- Advanced age, since its prevalence increases after 65 years of age (5.9% of the elderly suffer from it).
- Arterial hypertension.
- Having suffered an acute myocardial infarction.
- Heart failure.
- Valvular heart disease, when one or more valves in the heart do not work well.
This pathology can be suspected by symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations and chest pain. The treatments applied to patients who suffer from it are focused, above all, on avoiding the aforementioned stroke.
Atrial flutter
Another type of tachycardia is atrial flutter, caused by a fast but regular atrial rate. This variant is closely linked to atrial fibrillation, as it often occurs with it.
What must be clear about the types of tachycardia?
It is possible that more than one reader had increased keystrokes when reading these lines. After all, who has never had a chest ache? For this reason, it is necessary to clarify that many tachycardias do not present underlying clinical reasons.
Studies show that emotional states such as anxiety, stress, caffeine and drug use, or panic attacks can also promote them. Therefore, if studies such as electrocardiograms have already been carried out, and arrhythmias have not been diagnosed, in principle there is no reason to fear.
