Can People Avoid Pacemakers by Controlling Blood Pressure And Glucose Level?

Modifications in Lifestyle have started early enough and may lower the risk of an irregular heartbeat which is often treated with a pacemaker. Controlling your blood pressure and blood glucose has long been known for reducing the risk of serious health problems like heart attack and stroke.

Now a new study suggested that keeping these conditions under control may also prevent a common heart arrhythmia, one that’s often treated with a pacemaker. The study is published on May 24th in JAMA Network OpenTrusted Source. It looked at more than 6,000 people in Finland over 32 years.

Researchers analyzed that higher blood pressure and higher fasting glucose were both linked to a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, which is known as AV block.

What is AV block?

Atrioventricular (AV) block is a condition in which the electrical signals are conducted from the top to bottom chambers of the heart — the atria and ventricles. This is partially or completely blocked.

This can become the reason of symptoms like dizziness, fainting, fatigue, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Experts point out, though, that this study doesn’t mean that people with AV block can treat their condition with diet or exercise.

Dr. Eli Gelfand, section chief of general cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who wasn’t involved in the study said that AV block isn’t a chronic condition which is manageable with lifestyle changes. On the basis of the severity of the AV block, people may still require treatment. This sometimes means that having a pacemaker implanted for helping their heartbeat at a regular rhythm.

However, high blood pressure and elevated blood glucose are some of the known risk factors for other cardiovascular problems, like heart attack, coronary artery disease, stroke, and a common type of arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation.

Cardiologists and other doctors already routinely discuss to patients regarding managing these and other risk factors for heart and circulation problems.

Gelfand said that this study offers an additional impetus to counsel and treat patients aggressively in order to lower their risks of developing this conduction system disease.

Changeable risk factors for irregular heartbeat

The new study was on the basis of the data from more than 6,000 Finnish patients who were followed for up to 32 years. Researchers analyzed that many factors were linked to a higher risk of developing AV block, comprising older age, being male, higher systolic blood pressure, higher fasting glucose, history of heart attack, and history of congestive heart failure.

Only blood pressure and glucose level can be directly changed with lifestyle modifications — although managing these would also lower the risk of heart attack and heart failure.

Researchers analyzed that 47 % of cases of AV block were because of people having greater systolic blood pressure. An estimated 11 % were because of the elevated glucose level.

Dr. Michael Chan is an interventional cardiologist with St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California. He cautioned that this is an observational study.

By: Preeti Narula

Content: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/controlling-blood-pressure-glucose-can-help-people-avoid-pacemakers