Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Overview
Tell me about arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic heart condition that is characterized by progressive replacement of the heart muscle (myocardium) with an combination of abnormal fat and scar tissue called "fibrofatty tissue". This process increases the chance that a person will have heart rhythm abnormalities such as ventricular tachycardia (a fast, abnormal heart rate). Abnormal heart rhythms can lead to sudden death, particularly in young individuals and athletes. ARVC affects the bottom right side of the heart (the right ventricle) but may affect the bottom left side of the heart (left ventricle) as well. ARVC can affect individuals differently from family to family and from individual to individual. The average age at diagnosis is 31 years, but children as young as 4 years old to as old as 64 years old have been found to have ARVC. If diagnosed early and treated aggressively, people with this condition often do quite well.
References
- McNally E, MacLeod H, Dellefave-Castillo L. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. 2005 Apr 18 [Updated 2017 May 25]. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1131/
- Fogoros RN, MDArrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy - AVRC. August 10, 2019 https://www.verywellhealth.com/arrhythmogenic-cardiomyopathy-exercise-1746292. accessed 11NOV19
- Tichnell C, James CA, Murray B, Tandri H, Sears SF, Calkins H. Cardiology patient page. Patient's guide to arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy: past to present. Circulation. 2014 Sep 2;130(10):e89-92. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.004845 Accessed 11NOV19
More Overview Content
What else is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy called?
How many people have arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
What is the usual abbreviation for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
What are the most common health problems in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
What type of heart condition is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
Is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy more common in people from certain countries?
What else is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy called?
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is also called:
- arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
- arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy-dysplasia
- arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy
- right ventricular dysplasia, arrhythmogenic
- ventricular dysplasia, right, arrhythmogenic
- ARVC
- ARVD
- ARVD/C
References
- Orphanet. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. December 2015. https://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?Expert=247 Accessed March 29, 2019
- Genetic Home Reference. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. 29OCT2019 https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/arrhythmogenic-right-ventricular-cardiomyopathy#synonyms. Accessed 11NOV2019.
How many people have arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is estimated to occur 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 5,000 people in the general population. ARVC is thought to account for 5% to 10% of sudden unexplained death in individuals less than 65 years of age and 20% of sudden cardiac death in people under 35 years of age. ARVC is thought to be under diagnosed due to the challenge detecting this disorder in those individuals with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic. ARVC is found in individuals in all ethnic populations, races and countries; however, there appears to be a higher frequency detected in people from Venice, Italy and Padua, Italy, as well as the Greek Island of Naxos.
References
- Genetic Home Reference. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. 29OCT2019 Accessed March 29, 2019: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/arrhythmogenic-right-ventricular-cardiomyopathy#statistics
- Shah SN, Oliver TI. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. [Updated 2019 Feb 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470378/
- Heart and Vascular Institute, ARVD/C Questions and Answers. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heart_vascular_institute/clinical_services/centers_excellence/arvd/patient_resources/questions.html Accessed 12NOV2019.
What is the usual abbreviation for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy is usually abbreviated as ARVC or ARVD. Sometimes it may even be abbreviated as ARVC/D. The "D" stands for dysplasia, which was the previous name of this disorder.
References
- Orphanet. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. December 2015. https://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?Expert=247 Accessed March 29, 2019
- Genetic Home Reference. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. 29OCT2019 https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/arrhythmogenic-right-ventricular-cardiomyopathy#synonyms. Accessed 11NOV2019.
What are the most common health problems in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
The main health concerns associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) are abnormal heart rhythms and sudden death. Early signs and symptoms of ARVC may include heart palpitations, light-headedness, fainting, shortness of breath, and abnormal swelling in the legs or abdomen.
References
- Mayo Clinic. Cardiomyopathy https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cardiomyopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370709 accessed 11NOV19
- McNally E, MacLeod H, Dellefave-Castillo L. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. 2005 Apr 18 [Updated 2017 May 25]. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1131/[/link
- Tichnell C, James CA, Murray B, Tandri H, Sears SF, Calkins H. Cardiology patient page. Patient's guide to arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy: past to present. Circulation. 2014 Sep 2;130(10):e89-92. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.004845 Accessed 11NOV19
- Heart and Vascular Institute, ARVD/C Questions and Answers. https://www.hrsonline.org/find-a-specialist.
References
- Mayo Clinic. Cardiomyopathy https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cardiomyopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370709 Accessed March 29, 2019.
- McNally E, MacLeod H, Dellefave-Castillo L. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. 2005 Apr 18 [Updated 2017 May 25]. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1131/ Accessed March 29, 2019.
- Heart Rhythm Society's "Find a Specialist page at https://www.hrsonline.org/find-a-specialist. Accessed 12NOV19.
Is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy more common in people from certain countries?
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is thought to be under diagnosed due to the challenge detecting this disorder in those individuals with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic. ARVC is found in individuals in all ethnic populations, races and countries; however, there appears to be a higher frequency detected in people from Venice, Italy and Padua, Italy, as well as the Greek Island of Naxos.
References
- McNally E, MacLeod H, Dellefave-Castillo L. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. 2005 Apr 18 [Updated 2017 May 25]. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1131/ Accessed March 29, 2019.
- Shah SN, Oliver TI. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. [Updated 2019 Feb 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470378/.
