Left ventricular dysfunction and altered autonomic activity: a possible link to sudden cardiac death.
Med Hypotheses
; 20(1): 65-77, 1986 May.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-3636581
ABSTRACT
There is now a growing body of clinical evidence that suggests a strong association between left ventricular dysfunction and sudden cardiac death in patients recovering from myocardial infarction. The mechanisms underlying this association remain to be determined. Alterations within the autonomic nervous system may represent one factor that links an impairment in cardiac function to an increased mortality. Since ventricular dysfunction would tend to reduce stroke volume, an increased sympathetic and/or decreased parasympathetic efferent activity may compensate for this fall in stroke volume by increasing heart rate and/or the force of contraction (inotropic state) in an attempt to maintain a more normal cardiac output. Similar changes in autonomic activity are, in fact, known to increase the vulnerability to ventricular fibrillation. Therefore, I propose that myocardial infarction induces changes in cardiac function which in turn elicits autonomic efferent changes. As a consequence of these compensatory reflex changes the heart becomes less electrically stable and thereby more prone to lethal arrhythmias.
Buscar no Google
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Morte Súbita
/
Coração
/
Sistema de Condução Cardíaco
/
Infarto do Miocárdio
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Med Hypotheses
Ano de publicação:
1986
Tipo de documento:
Article