What is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)?

12-Apr-2016

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The cricket world is in shock following the news that James Taylor, the 26-year-old England batsman, has been forced to retire with a serious heart condition. Here is an outline of the condition arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a rare disease of the heart muscle.

It is an inherited condition that is caused by a change or mutation in one or more genes. It is possible to inherit the mutation without developing the condition.

It affects the proteins that bind together the cells of the heart muscle, causing them to become detached and for fatty deposits to build up in an attempt to repair the damage.

The condition usually affects the right side of your heart but it can affect both sides.

ARVC can cause abnormal heart rhythms due to the damaged and scarred muscle cells. The walls of the ventricle - one of four chambers in your heart - become thin and stretched, meaning that the heart can't pump blood properly.

The condition is similar to that suffered by Fabrice Muamba, the Bolton Wanderers footballer, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during an FA Cup tie against Tottenham in 2012.

Symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms, breathlessness, fainting, swollen legs/ankles, swelling in the abdomen. It all bears the risk of sudden cardiac arrest on exertion. This can be precipitated by the onset of dizzy spells, palpitations or blackouts.

A more common cause of cardiac arrest in young people/sportsmen and women is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, also known as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy). In HCM, the heart muscle becomes too thick, which encourages abnormal heart rhythms. While inherited it can be made worse by the training of an athlete, which causes the heart muscle to thicken.

Neither ARVC or HCM are common. In the UK it is estimated that 10,000 people have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

ARVC cannot be cured but can be controlled by medicine or surgery. Treatments include cardioversion (electrical treatment of abnormal heart rhythm) or catheter ablation (wires guided into the heart where radiofrequency energy produces heat to remove damaged heart tissue).

Taylor is expected to have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) fitted. This is a battery-powered device under the skin that tracks heart rate and delivers an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat if it detects an abnormal rhythm.

Source: The British Heart Foundation

James Taylor Nottinghamshire England