Keeping Pace with the Heart’s Needs

Latest generation Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators signal a better life for people with Arrhythmia

Healthy Heart|Dec. 13, 2024

Know what it feels like when you’re cycling, and your foot slips off the pedal? The momentum of the ride is disrupted, making you stumble, as you try to regain balance. Something similar happens to our heartbeat in an arrhythmia— a condition in which the heart’s rhythm becomes irregular, impacting its ability to pump blood to the body. Steadying the heart rate requires medication, lifestyle changes and in some cases, surgical intervention.

In recent years, healthcare technology has made significant strides in developing powerful and smart solutions for treating arrhythmias. The Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) is one such cardiac device that becomes an integral part of the body, monitoring the heart’s activity and stabilizing its rhythm.

Before we unpack the intricacies of this innovation, here are some important things to know about arrhythmia.

The heart of the matter

Arrhythmias are caused by a dysfunction in the electrical activity that controls the contractions of the heart, causing it to beat quicker, slower or inconsistently. This is observed in some cases of coronary artery disease, disorders that affect the heart’s valves, hypertension, injury from a heart attack, or during the healing process after a cardiac surgery. While some arrhythmias could be mild (and harmless), others could lead to palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue and discomfort. Early diagnosis and intervention help to bring symptoms under control, prevent the weakening of the heart, and avoid the risk of complications like stroke.

A crucial aspect of managing care for people with arrhythmia is monitoring the heart rate, to ensure that any changes in the rhythm can be identified and addressed without delay. Emerging healthcare technology is making way for cutting-edge, miniaturized devices that capture a live stream of cardiac data and insights, to help smoothen the creases in the heart’s functioning.

Tapping the pulse from within

Latest generation Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD) are as small as a matchbox, sleek enough to fit into the palm of one’s hand. Through a minimally invasive procedure, this device is placed just under the skin, next to the collar bone, from where it keeps a continuous watch on the heart rate. It can be connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone app, so caregivers, too, can stay updated on the readings and be assured of their loved ones’ safety. Equally importantly, any anomaly in the pattern of the heartbeat is directly reported to healthcare providers, in real-time, so timely medical action may be taken to ensure patients’ wellbeing. 

Charged up to live fully

The role of health innovations doesn’t end at remote monitoring. Advanced technologies and algorithms in these devices can now detect previously undetected arrhythmias and provide safe therapy. The ICD device stabilizes irregularities in the heart’s electrical activity, by sending tiny, calibrated shocks that stimulate the heart to pump blood. Where once an inconsistent cardiac rhythm would’ve led to uneasiness, a drop in blood pressure, or more adverse attacks, the ICD device now allows people to go about their day without any hiccups, even as it carefully steadies their heart rate. This power to detect and regulate the heart’s abnormalities is a source of comfort and relief for patients and their family members. Whether you’re at work, in the gym, or relaxing at home, the cardiac device keeps your heart health in check, intervening with electrical impulses, or alerting your doctors, to minimize the likelihood of a health episode.

“Today, there’s a deeper level to smart healthcare technology that’s been transforming care: device-to-device compatibility. Even the newest cardiovascular tech is being designed with compatibility in mind. This can improve a patient’s experience by connecting them to a network of care services that relays data and insights in real time to healthcare providers, so that their decision-making is more powerful. In turn, it can help give people more confidence and freedom to go about their daily lives,” says Ajay Singh Chauhan, General Manager for Abbott’s cardiac rhythm management business in India, SEA, HK, Taiwan and Korea.

As medical devices shrink in size to become a seamless part of our lives, their impact expands, permeating hearts, one beat at a time. Advanced Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators signal a leap into the future of cardiac care, bringing peace, stability and harmony to the rhythm of our health journey.

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.