WPW and heart failure

[lowejection]

I am a 34 year old woman. I was diagnosed with Wolffe Parkinson White Syndrome when I was 23 years old. This arrythymia was found during an unrelated ECG. I have minimal symptoms - occasional palpitations only. During my second pregnancy I was asked to have an echo and this and several others during and after my pregnancy identified low ejection fraction of 44%. Is this same as heart failure. If so is that the WPW may have caused the heart failure and if i get the arrythymia treated would this mean the heart failure might resolve?? I am not overweight, do not smoke or drink (much!).

[kenkeith]

An echo estimates the EF and there about a 7% margin of error.  Heart failure is a condition where the heart is not able to pump sufficient oxygenated blood to meet the system's demand.  SSA and some health insurance provides a numerical value of 29% and below for heart failure. However, there are many heart patients that do well on a daily basis with the EF below 30%.  

WPW is a heart rhythm disorder that may or may not be a medical problem.  That condition would not cause your lower than normal EF. Often one's EF can be increased with aerobic exercise.  As with any muscle, exercise will increase the strength of heart contractions.  Stronger contractions the more blood is pumped into circulation with each heartbeat (EF normal is 50 to 70% of blood pumped with each heart beat).

Hope this helps and take care.

[lowejection]

Thanks for your response.  The Consultant sent a letter to my Gp asking for me to start ACE inhibitors but they have not told me anything so I am just confused as to whether I should be thinking in terms of heart failure or ??? thanks

[kenkeith]

You shouldn't be thinking in terms of heart failure.  You should be thinking in terms of a healthy diet, exercise, etc.  I assume there isn't any high blood pressure, normal weight, normal size heart, etc.

[grendslori]

Wolffe-Parkinson-White is a syndrome where there is an accessory electrical tract in the heart usually in the area of the Kent Bundles. You can end up with the normal electrical impulses 'jumping over to and back from, the normal electrical pathway. Unless you are having a lot of very high heart rates which lasts over a long period of time, CHF isn't really an issue. I would not be thinking about being in heart failure, as kenkeith said. Also EF%s aren't the ONLY thing they consider in making the CHF diagnosis; they also consider kidney function as well as lung function.

[garc]

My 10 year was diagnopsed with WPW and prescribed 12.5 mg of atenolol.

Is this a condition that wil get better or .......

The arryhtmia did not appear during a strebuous stress test

[kenkeith]

QUOTE: "My 10 year was diagnopsed with WPW and prescribed 12.5 mg of atenolol.

Is this a condition that wil get better or .......

The arryhtmia did not appear during a strebuous stress test"
__________

For some insight, Individuals with WPW syndrome have an accessory electrical impulse  pathway that connects the atria (upper to lower chamber to the lower pumping chamber) and the ventricles, in addition to the AV node (normal pathway). This accessory pathway does not share the rate-slowing properties of the AV node, and may conduct electrical activity at a significantly higher rate than the AV node and that can cause tachycardia (very fast heart rate).

If the abnormal pathway did not show on a stress test, may indicate there is intermittent Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome can show occasional conduction through the accessory pathway. WPW syndrome often causes paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia or atrial fibrillation. It may be difficult to identify the abnormalities because of their only intermittent occurrence.

Acutely, people with WPW who are experiencing tachyarrhythmias may require electrical cardioversion if their condition is critical, or, if more stable, medical treatment may be used.
Atenolol is a beta blocker that helps stabilize the heartbeat and may be the only medication required.

Hope this helps and if you have any follow up questions you are welcome to respond.  Thanks for your question and take care.