TY - JOUR
T1 - Timing of life-threatening arrhythmias detected by implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in relation to changes in cosmophysical factors
AU - Stoupel, Elyiahu
AU - Kusniec, Jairo
AU - Mazur, Alexander
AU - Abramson, Evgeny
AU - Israelevich, Peter
AU - Strasberg, Boris
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Background: Studies have linked the natural history of many pathologies with environmental physical activity. This study investigated the relationship between the occurrence of ventricular tachycardia/ fibrillation (VT/VF) recorded by implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and geomagnetic and cosmic ray (neutron) activity. Methods: The study group included 85 patients (73 men) with cardiomyopathy (80% ischemic) who underwent ICD placement in the years 1995-2006; 74% had a left ventricular ejection fraction of < 30%. Data on the days on which VT/VF occurred (total number of days: 284) and the days on which the patients were treated (total number of treatments: 580) were collected from the ICD records. The findings were analyzed against levels of geomagnetic activity (GMA) (Io-IVo) and cosmic ray activity (CRA), derived from international observatories, on the same days and throughout the study period. Results: On days of VT/VF, daily values of GMA level averaged 1.5 ± 0.7, consistent with level Io (quiet). The ratios of daily VT/VF episodes and treatment to GMA level for the whole study period were as follows: 1.2 level I; 0.9 level II; 0.69 level III; 0.78 level IV (r = -0.974; p = 0.02). Mean CRA on days of VT/VF was 9246.8 ± 299.0 imp/min, and for all 4383 days studied, 8805.33 ± 411.4 imp/min (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: In patients with predominantly ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe left ventricular dysfunction, VT/VF occurs more often on days of low GMA and high CRA. Further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanism of the effect of neutron activity on cardiac electrical instability.
AB - Background: Studies have linked the natural history of many pathologies with environmental physical activity. This study investigated the relationship between the occurrence of ventricular tachycardia/ fibrillation (VT/VF) recorded by implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and geomagnetic and cosmic ray (neutron) activity. Methods: The study group included 85 patients (73 men) with cardiomyopathy (80% ischemic) who underwent ICD placement in the years 1995-2006; 74% had a left ventricular ejection fraction of < 30%. Data on the days on which VT/VF occurred (total number of days: 284) and the days on which the patients were treated (total number of treatments: 580) were collected from the ICD records. The findings were analyzed against levels of geomagnetic activity (GMA) (Io-IVo) and cosmic ray activity (CRA), derived from international observatories, on the same days and throughout the study period. Results: On days of VT/VF, daily values of GMA level averaged 1.5 ± 0.7, consistent with level Io (quiet). The ratios of daily VT/VF episodes and treatment to GMA level for the whole study period were as follows: 1.2 level I; 0.9 level II; 0.69 level III; 0.78 level IV (r = -0.974; p = 0.02). Mean CRA on days of VT/VF was 9246.8 ± 299.0 imp/min, and for all 4383 days studied, 8805.33 ± 411.4 imp/min (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: In patients with predominantly ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe left ventricular dysfunction, VT/VF occurs more often on days of low GMA and high CRA. Further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanism of the effect of neutron activity on cardiac electrical instability.
KW - Cosmic ray (neutron) activity
KW - Geomagnetic activity
KW - Implantable cardioverter defribrillator
KW - Ventricular fibrillation
KW - Ventricular tachycardia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=54849416372&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
AN - SCOPUS:54849416372
SN - 1897-5593
VL - 15
SP - 437
EP - 440
JO - Cardiology Journal
JF - Cardiology Journal
IS - 5
ER -