The world of football is once again wondering about cardiac arrhythmias. The news of a possible stop to sporting activity leaks out for Sergio Aguero, 33-year-old Barcelona striker from Argentina. The cause would be an unspecified “malignant arrhythmia”. To support this possibility is a news that overturns from Radio Catalunya. Aguero suffered chest pain during the game against Alaves in October. Obviously, on the medical front, only hypotheses can be made about what could have happened to the player, followed by Josep Brugada, discoverer with his brother Pedro of the homonymous syndrome which, coincidentally, can lead to malignant ventricular fibrillation that also appears in young people and adolescents.
Heart, environmental factors must be considered to calculate the risk
Cardiac arrests in this specific picture, however, are never related to exertion. “In general terms, several hypotheses can be made: the first, more remote, is that there are congenital alterations that have not been identified until the moment in which specific tests have been made, the second is that it is a genetically determined picture which however tends to manifest itself over time, so a person may have no signs at 25 and maybe manifest them at 30 – he explains Gaetano Maria De Ferrari, Professor of Cardiology at the University of Turin – In the first case, there are two situations to be taken into particular consideration: the long QT syndrome and a particularly rare form which, however, can cause dangerous malignant arrhythmias that are often not identified. It is defined with the English acronym CPVT which stands for Polymorphic Ventricular Catecholaminergic Tachycardia “.
Heart valves, when, how and why to intervene
at Federico Mereta
This extremely complex picture, as happens with the more famous long QT syndrome (therefore characterized by a particular shape of the electrocardiogram curve), can induce particularly severe forms of ventricular tachycardia and is of a genetic nature. “It must be said, however, that it is extremely unlikely that pictures of this type will not be identified before – the expert points out – the situation is different with regards to ventricular arrhythmogenic heart disease, what was once defined as dysplasia. In this case, the malignant arrhythmia. it appears above all under stress and has a particularity. It is of a genetic nature, but it may not manifest itself for a long time and then appear. So this picture could be completely absent in specific checks carried out perhaps around 20 years, only to be detected a few years later after”.
Heart failure, patient management changes
There is, however, a striking element in this jumble of clinical hypotheses (we certainly cannot speak of certain data) on what could have happened. Chest pain, in fact, is not a classic sign of these arrhythmic forms, which can be fatal and cause cardiac arrest because the heart is beating wildly, without however there being the classic pain that characterizes a heart attack.
Heart door
Atrial fibrillation, an “oversized” waistline signals risk
at Federico Mereta
“This particular symptom can suggest a third possibility, namely that at the base of the picture there may be a strong inflammation of the myocardium, or myocarditis – leads De Ferrari. This is not a congenital but acquired condition and can lead to suffering of a small group of cells, potentially triggering arrhythmic problems. As mentioned, however, these are only hypotheses. Surely it must be said that for the possible resumption of competitive activity it is necessary to evaluate according to the laws of the various countries. sportsman with defibrillator can no longer play football, while in the US there are basketball players who practice sports even with these implanted devices “.
Heart attacks and strokes, a patch will be enough to measure the risk
by Mara Magistroni
When it comes to malignant forms of arrhythmia, what is frightening is ventricular fibrillation, the most serious of these conditions. It brings the left ventricle to contract even hundreds of times per minute in a completely autonomous way with respect to the atrium above, which instead maintains its normal rhythm. This situation quickly leads to a very serious problem in the blood circulation. In fact, the “crazy” contractions of the ventricle are completely useless, because each time the blood introduced into the aorta is far less than the needs of the organism. In a few seconds, then a state of severe ischemia can occur to the heart itself, the brain and other organs which, if the underlying arrhythmia is not treated. In the most severe forms, only defibrillation, or that particular electrical treatment that aims to put the heart back into its normal rhythm, can have meaning and save a life.
.