Nov 26 (HeartCenterOnline) - Citing both medical and economic factors, researchers find that pacemakers are an effective option in treating patients 80 years of age and older. The results of the study are published in the November 2003 issue of the American Heart Journal.

Although the heart has its own natural pacemaker that sets its rhythm, the term "pacemaker" most commonly refers to an artificial electronic device that is implanted in the chest to regulate the heart's rhythm. Generally, pacemakers send electrical impulses to one or more chambers of the heart. These signals make the heart contract in a more regular rhythm than the chamber would otherwise. Pacemakers are designed to treat cardiac conditions that involve bradycardia (an abnormally slow heartbeat). Following a permanent pacemaker insertion, most patients with these conditions report significant improvements in their quality of life.

Nearly 200,000 pacemakers are implanted annually in the United States. While they continuously monitor the heart's electrical activity, pacemakers are not "one-rhythm-fits- all" devices. Most are programmed according to the needs of each individual, depending on the patient's medical history and lifestyle. They are sensitive to a person's activity level and breathing pattern. When abnormal rhythms are detected, the pacemaker will send electrical impulses until sensing that a normal heart rate is restored.

In the current study, Dr. Boris Schmidt and colleagues from the Universitatsklinikum (Freiburg, Germany) note that "pacing" is the preferred method for treating "severe and/or symptomatic" bradycardia. However, they add, their routine use in patients 80 years of age and older has come under question. This is largely due to issues surrounding life expectancy and health care system expenses.

The researchers analyzed the progress of 1,588 very elderly patients (80 years of age and older) in whom pacemakers were implanted. Follow-up data were kept over a 29-year period, from 1971 to 2000.

Results showed that 66 percent of the patients were alive at five years after implantation of their pacemaker, with an average survival of eight years. Moreover, the researchers find that, overall, very elderly patients "account for an increasing portion of pacemaker implantations."

It was concluded that pacemaker therapy is a "clinically and economically effective therapeutic option" to control bradycardia and its related symptoms.

To learn more about this topic, visit HeartCenterOnline's:
The Pacemaker Center
Bradycardia

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