Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy
| Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy, tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy, tachymyopathy, chronotropic cardiomyopathy, tachycardiomyopathy |
| Pronunciation |
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| Specialty | Cardiology |
| Symptoms | shortness of breath, ankle swelling, fatigue, weight gain, palpitations, chest discomfort |
| Duration | short or long term |
| Causes | fast or irregular heart rhythm |
| Risk factors | Prolonged tachycardia |
| Treatment | antiarrythmic agents, diuretics, catheter ablation, pacemaker |
Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC) is a disease where prolonged tachycardia (a fast heart rate) or arrhythmia (an irregular heart rhythm) causes an impairment of the myocardium (heart muscle), which can result in heart failure. People with TIC may have symptoms associated with heart failure (e.g. shortness of breath or ankle swelling) or symptoms related to the tachycardia or arrhythmia (e.g. palpitations). Though atrial fibrillation is the most common cause of TIC, several tachycardias and arrhythmias have been associated with the disease.
There are no formal diagnostic criteria for TIC. Thus, TIC is typically diagnosed when (1) tests have excluded other causes of cardiomyopathy and (2) there is improvement in myocardial function after treatment of the tachycardia or arrhythmia. Treatment of TIC can involve treating the heart failure as well as the tachycardia or arrhythmia. TIC has a good prognosis with treatment, with most people recovering some to all of their heart function.
The number of cases that occur is unclear. TIC has been reported in all age groups.