Who might need a pacemaker?
Pacemakers are recommended for people with various heart rhythm issues. Your healthcare team might suggest one if you have:
* Heart failure or have experienced a heart attack
* An arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), including atrial fibrillation (AFib)
* An abnormally slow heart rate
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Who might need a pacemaker?
Pacemakers are recommended for people with various heart rhythm issues. Your healthcare team might suggest one if you have:
* Heart failure or have experienced a heart attack
* An arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), including atrial fibrillation (AFib)
* An abnormally slow heart rate
* Congenital heart defects that cause fast or slow heartbeats
* An enlarged or thickened heart muscle
* Sinus node dysfunction (when electrical signals from your heart's natural pacemaker slow or disappear)
* Atrioventricular block (heart block), where electrical signals don't properly reach the bottom chambers of your heart
Some medications, like beta-blockers, can also slow your heart rate enough to require a pacemaker.
Over 1 million pacemakers are implanted worldwide each year, so you're definitely not alone if you need one. A MyHeartDiseaseTeam member shared, "I just celebrated 27 years of living on pacemakers. It's helped a lot."
If you're wondering whether a pacemaker is right for you, your cardiologist can provide personalized advice based on your specific heart condition and lifestyle.
March 22
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