Ventricular Arrhythmias and Heart Failure

Abstract

Sudden death accounts for a significant number of deaths in heart failure patients. A majority of sudden deaths in heart failure are from ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Ventricular tachycardia is common in heart failure patients and the approach to its evaluation and treatment requires special attention. Unique pathophysiologic changes in cardiomyopathy and heart failure predispose these patients to the development of ventricular arrhythmias. Specifically targeting these changes can be beneficial when developing treatment strategies for ventricular tachycardia in heart failure. In this chapter, we will review the mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis as they relate to the heart failure syndrome, the different clinical manifestations of ventricular arrhythmias in heart failure, as well as the most appropriate methods for treating ventricular arrhythmias in heart failure patients to prevent recurrent arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.