New methods for the analysis of heartbeat behavior in risk stratification

Abstract

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Developing better methods for risk stratification for tachyarrhythmicsudden cardiac remains a major challenge for physicians andscientists. Since the transition from sinus rhythm to ventriculartachycardia/fibrillation happens by different mechanisms in differentpeople, it is unrealistic to think that a single measure will beadequate to provide a good index for risk stratification. We describeefforts to analyze the dynamical properties of ventricular prematurecomplexes over 24 hours in an effort to understand the underlyingmechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias and to better understand thearrhythmias that occur in individual patients. Twodimensional density plots, called heartprints, correlate characteristic features of thedynamics of premature ventricular complexes and the sinus rate. Heartprints show distinctive characteristics in individual patients. Based on a better understanding of the natures of transitions fromsinus rhythm to sudden cardiac and the mechanisms of arrhythmia priorto cardiac arrest, it should be possible to develop better methods forrisk stratification.

Keywords

• Nonlinear Dynamics
• Parasystole
• Sudden cardiac death
• cardiac arrhythmias
• early afterdepolarization
• ventricular tachycardia