Vasovagal syncope, which causes fainting, depends on an overactive vagus nerve: “deactivating” the nerve stations that carry its impulse to the heart, the most serious cases can be resolved
A strong emotion, the sight of blood, a fright: the heart “skips” its beats, the heart rate drops, the pressure drops suddenly and there is a sudden fainting, with loss of consciousness. It is called vasovagal syndrome and is quite common, so much so that it is estimated to involve up to 5 percent of emergency room visits: fainting can result in injuries, bruises or fractures if you fall and so recently a review of studies on the subject he addressed the issue of treating cases in which syncopes become so frequent as to worsen the quality of life.
Young patients
In fact, the authors underline that the sensation of the «sword of Damocles» of those who suffer from repeated syncopes can cause, in addition to the trauma from accidents when one suddenly faints, also a strong psychological stress; syncopes, which often occur in young people between the ages of 20 and 30, are not lethal but can become limiting. At the basis of syncope is the interruption of the heartbeat caused by the hyperactivity of the vagus nerve, one of the two systems that regulate physiological responses, including cardiac activity, to external stimuli: the vagal system is the “brake” that slows the beat, counterbalanced by the sympathetic system which instead accelerates it. If the vagal system is hyperactive, the heartbeat reduction signal can prevail even in situations where it is not needed, such as a fright or a strong emotion, causing fainting. If syncopes are very frequent, the new review of the studies suggests the use of a new technique, cardioneuroablation, in well-selected cases.
Deactivate the nerve
«Today severe vagal syndrome can be cured with the implantation of a pacemaker, but it is not the ideal solution in the youngest ones because over time this can deteriorate; cardioneuroablation, which arises from the experience of catheter ablations for the treatment of arrhythmias, may be a new option for these cases “, explains Claudio Tondo, director of the Arrhythmology Department of the Monzino Cardiology Center in Milan, one of the few in the world and among the first in Italy to apply the new method. “It is a question of identifying the” nerve stations “through which the vagus nerve acts on the heart and cauterizing them via catheter, to reduce or eliminate the excessive action of the vagal system on the electrical activity of the heart: in the first phase of mapping the nerve is stimulated vague and the stations that trigger the electric pause are highlighted, then the “incriminated” stations are deactivated with cardiac denervation. The procedure is complex and requires specific experience, but the results are quite promising: at Monzino we treated fifteen patients and in 65 percent of cases, a significant reduction in electrical pauses was achieved, which allowed the young patients to return to lead a life. normal”.
January 25, 2022 (change January 25, 2022 | 13:25)
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