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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
07:56
A Model of Long-Term Ventricular Fibrillation in Isolated Rat Hearts
Published on: February 17, 2023
Vagal nerve-mediated vasospasm-induced lethal ventricular fibrillation
Bonpei Takase1, Ryuichi Kato, Ko Arakawa
1Division of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Saitama 359-8513, Japan. bonpeit@me.ndmc.ac.jp
Journal of Electrocardiology
|April 4, 2006
Summary
Variant angina can lead to lethal ventricular fibrillation. Heart rate variability analysis may predict sudden cardiac death risk in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiac Electrophysiology
Background:
- Variant angina (Prinzmetal's angina) is characterized by coronary artery vasospasm.
- Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening arrhythmia that can cause sudden cardiac death.
Observation:
- A case of variant angina complicated by fatal ventricular fibrillation is presented.
- Ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring showed high-frequency spectra linked to vagal nerve activity before vasospastic episodes.
Findings:
- Augmented vagal nerve activity, indicated by specific heart rate variability spectra, preceded vasospastic episodes in variant angina.
- This suggests a potential link between autonomic dysfunction and severe arrhythmic events.
Implications:
- Heart rate variability analysis could serve as a non-invasive tool to identify patients with variant angina at high risk for sudden cardiac death.
- Early identification may allow for timely intervention and improved patient outcomes.
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