Heart Disease — Cardiac Arrhythmias
   by James Occhiogrosso, N.D.

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A disturbed heart rhythm is known medically as a cardiac arrhythmia, and is quite common in people of both sexes over the age of 50. The most commonly diagnosed arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation. Often, when these condition is diagnosed, a doctor will suggest the patient start using a blood thinner like Plavix or Coumadin, both of which have nasty side effects that can include major, life-threatening bleeding, as well as many less serious side effects like bruising.

In some cases, a blood thinner and its attendant side effects may not be warranted. This article discusses some considerations for using a blood thinner, and may provide you with some information to ask your doctor about on your next visit.
 
Atrial fibrillation (Afib) and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are two of the most common cardiac arrhythmias. Such arrhythmias often occur in people with healthy hearts, but they can also result from heart disease.

A cardiac arrhythmia is a medical term used to describe a disturbance of the normal heart rhythm. There are several different kinds of arrhythmias. Most have no known cause. Some—like missed or skipped heartbeats) can be relatively benign and need little or no treatment. Others, like atrial fibrillation vary from benign to serious, and some, like ventricular fibrillation—can be life threatening and require immediate emergency medical intervention.

In most cases the cause of a cardiac arrhythmia cannot be determined, especially when it occurs in people over the age of fifty.  However, before going on medication to control an arrhythmia, known causes, such as: thyroid problems and/or severe hormone imbalances should first be eliminated.  A home salivary hormone test can easily rule out steroid hormone imbalances, and a simple home blood spot test can rule out severe thyroid dysfunction.    

Fibrillation is a term that essentially means quivering. When it occurs in the upper chambers of the heart (the Atria), it is called Atrial fibrillation (Afib), and while Afib can cause some discomfort, it is usually not a medical emergency. On the other hand, ventricular fibrillation typically results in a serious disruption of the hearts pumping ability and can cause complete cardiac dysfunction. Ventricular fibrillation is always a medical emergency!

Atrial Fibrillation tends to occur more with advancing age, while PVC’s are common at any age. Both conditions often cause the person to feel fluttering or skipped beats of the heart, and in some cases (particularly with Afib), the person may experience a drop in blood pressure and dizziness.

The first time one or the other occurs, tests are usually recommended to make sure that your heart is healthy. If comprehensive testing by a cardiologist shows no significant abnormalities, with the heart, both conditions can be managed with proper herbal support and nutrition.

Atrial Fibrillation (Afib)

There are generally two kinds of Afib: permanent Afib, where the arrhythmia is constant, and paroxysmal Afib (meaning it comes and goes for unknown reasons). In the case of paroxysmal Afib, if the person easily notices the arrhythmia, it can often be managed without medication. When Afib occurs constantly, or nearly constantly, or when the patient cannot feel when it is happening, medication in the form of a blood thinner or other medication can be prescribed.
 
Paroxysmal Afib, by definition, is a condition in which the irregular rhythm occurs sporadically. An attack can last from a few seconds, to minutes, hours or days. Typically, the heart spontaneously returns to a normal rhythm by itself. When the attacks are short in duration (a few minutes or hours) and occur only occasionally, medication is usually unneeded. However, some people with this type of Afib may have lengthy episodes quite often, and in this case, blood thinning and/or other medications may be prescribed.

Afib (of either type) can cause blood to pool in the upper chambers of the heart (the Atria). The pooled blood can then clot. Such clots can later be driven out of the heart causing a problem somewhere else in the body. For this reason, permanent Afib and paroxysmal Afib that have lengthy (more than an few hours) occurrences are typically treated with medication. Unfortunately, blood thinning and other cardiac medications have their own set of dangerous side effects. You should always question your doctor about whether the medication being prescribed is truly appropriate for your condition.

Paroxysmal Afib that has short, infrequent episodes typically does not need medication and can be managed effectively with vitamin, herbal and nutritional supplements.

Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVC’s)

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are extra, abnormal heartbeats that originate in one of the hearts lower pumping chambers (the Ventricles). A premature contraction occurs just before a normal heart beat typically causing the normal beat that follows to be more forceful. It is this second, more forceful beat that the person feels.
 
This type of cardiac arrhythmia is quite common and tends to occur in most people at some point in their lives. Unless it causes a severe disruption of normal heart rhythm, it is not considered serious. PVC’s typically cause you to feel like your heart skipped a beat or jumped in your chest. If they occur relatively frequently, or if they cause you discomfort, it is wise to have a complete cardiac workup by a cardiologist to ascertain there are no serious problems. Most PVCs do not need treatment unless they become very prominent or cause significant discomfort or abnormal EKG patterns.

Nutritional and Herbal Solutions

Self-treating cardiac arrhythmias is not generally in your best interests. The best way to achieve positive results is to work with both a cardiologist and an natural health practitioner and make sure each is aware of what the other is doing.

As a natural health practitioner, I am often asked which herbs and nutrients someone with a cardiac arrhythmia should take. Each person’s arrhythmia may have a different origin, as well as different characteristics, and as such, needs to be individually addressed.

There are several herbs, especially Hawthorn that can help the heart to pump better and thus support cardiac health. There are also many vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that one can use to improve heart function and reduce the incidence of either Afib or PVC attacks. Some of these, like Coenzyme Q10 and magnesium are absolutely crucial for supporting good heart health. For more information, see my article on Heart Disease - Nutritional and Herbal Support.

To naturally address minor heart arrhythmias requires dietary, lifestyle and nutritional analysis. Nutrient deficiencies can be addressed with vitamin and mineral supplements. Herbal remedies as well as amino acids can help strengthen the heart, increase blood flow and lower blood pressure.

One common thread I see with folks that improve their conditions is that they assume responsibility for their treatment rather than just take advice from someone else. Over the years, I have seen many folks (including myself) with relatively severe heart arrhythmias achieve significant improvement after several months of supplementation with nutrients and herbals.

For more information see Heart Disease - Nutritional & Herbal Support, or click on the "Site Search" button at the top left of any page and  search for “Heart Disease” on the search page that appears.