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Conditions causing arrhythmia are among the most common cardiac conditions. A study headed by Prof. Georg Schmidt of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has demonstrated for the first time that the nocturnal respiratory rate can help with an important prediction: It is an indicator of whether a defibrillator will help to extend the life of patients with arrhythmia.
Sudden cardiac death is one of the leading causes of mortality in western industrialized countries. It can be prevented by an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). This automatically detects life-threatening heart rhythms and emits electrical signals to stop them. The guidelines recommend the implantation of ICDs in patients with a significantly weakened pump function of the left ventricle. According to the German Heart Surgery Report, more than 42,000 defibrillators were implanted in Germany in 2018.