Is WPW considered a heart condition?

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a relatively common heart condition that causes the heart to beat abnormally fast for periods of time. The cause is an extra electrical connection in the heart. This problem with the heart is present at birth (congenital), although symptoms may not develop until later in life.

Is WPW considered a disability?

This particular disease causes a unique type of tachycardia known as atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia. Social Security disability applicants frequently have difficulties with arrhythmia/tachycardia and the symptoms resulting from same can form a valid basis for a disability claim.

Does WPW shorten your life?

Implications for practice: A thorough patient history and physical examination can aid the practitioner in identifying patients who may have WPW syndrome. With appropriate referral, treatment, and patient education, patients with WPW syndrome can expect to have a normal life expectancy and good quality of life.

Does WPW get worse with age?

The dispersion of atrial refractoriness was also shown to increase progressively with age. Therefore, the prevalence of a potentially malignant form of WPW syndrome in asymptomatic subjects does not decrease significantly with age.

What type of disease is Wolff-Parkinson-White?

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) is a type of heart condition you are born with (congenital). It causes a rapid heart rate. If you have WPW, you may have episodes of palpitations or rapid heartbeats.

Can you get disability if you have a pacemaker?

Having a pacemaker installed is not by itself a qualifying condition for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. However, it may be a sign that an individual is experiencing serious heart health problems that, taken together, are disabling.

Has anyone died from WPW?

The incidence of sudden death in patients with WPW is extremely low. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only reported case of sudden death in a man with WPW and myocardial bridge. This case highlights that SCD can occur in WPW patients with mild or unrecognized structural abnormality.

Can I pass WPW onto my children?

WPW is not usually hereditary, that is, it is not usually passed from parents to children. In the normal conduction system, there is only one pathway for electrical signals to pass from the heart’s upper chambers — the atria- to the heart’s lower chambers — the ventricles. This pathway is called the AV node.

What foods to avoid if you have WPW?

AV node blockers should be avoided in atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter with WPW syndrome. In particular, avoid adenosine, diltiazem, verapamil, and other calcium-channel blockers and beta-blockers.

Can Wolff-Parkinson-White come back?

Surgical correction of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome provides excellent long-term results with low morbidity. Patients who are disabled by arrhythmias return to work after successful surgery. Delta waves may persist or recur without return of arrhythmias.

Can you get a blue badge if you have a pacemaker?

What drugs are contraindicated in WPW?

The use of digoxin or verapamil for long-term therapy appears to be contraindicated for many patients with WPW syndrome, because these medications may enhance antegrade conduction through the AP by increasing the refractory period in the AV node.

What causes WPW?

The cause of WPW is typically unknown. A small number of cases are due to a mutation of the PRKAG2 gene which may be inherited from a person’s parents in an autosomal dominant fashion. The underlying mechanism involves an accessory electrical conduction pathway between the atria and the ventricles.

How to diagnose WPW on an EKG?

WPW is usually diagnosed with a standard electrocardiogram (ECG), but specialized testing is required in some patients. The electrocardiogram — The WPW pattern can be detected by an ECG, even while the patient is in a normal rhythm. Conduction through the accessory pathway produces a characteristic ECG pattern.