Long QT Syndrome Analysis
About 610,000 people die of heart diseases every year. Heart disease is the leading cause for death in the United States for both men and women. Dana Vollmer is a Olympic swimmer who suffers from a heart condition known as, Long QT Syndrome. Long QT Syndrome is a condition that causes the heart to have fast or chaotic heartbeats. The fast and chaotic heartbeats can trigger fainting spells and seizures. If the heart beats erratically for too long it can cause sudden death. Dana Vollmer began swimming at very young age. At age twelve, Dana became the youngest person to be in the Olympic swimming trials. She was taken to the doctor and diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome at age fourteen after experiencing dizzy spells while training. Dana continued
to swim and win her first gold medal at the Athen Olympics of 2004. She continued on and won three more gold medals at the London Olympics of 2012, and set the World’s Record for 100-meter butterfly. Long QT Syndrome can cause sudden uncontrollable arrhythmias in response to exercise or stress. This syndrome affects the process of repolarization, which is the recharging of the heart after every heartbeat. LQTS is a result of a defect found in the ion channels, causing a delay in the recharge of one’s heart. There isn’t a cure for LQTS but there are treatments that can improve chances of survival. Dana is believed to have “out grown” her condition, for doctors can no longer detect any signs of it. Even with the heart condition she never stopped competing. Dana still continues to swim today, she even competed in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. LQTS can be treated but not cured. A few treatments include Beta blockers, sodium channel blockers, pacemakers, ICDs, and surgery can be performed for people with high risk of death from the syndrome. There isn’t much prevention for Long QT because it is an inherited disease. If a member in your family has had LQTS you should go to the doctor to be sure you don’t have it because it is an inherited condition. I didn’t know there was a disease called Long QT Syndrome, so through this project I have learned a lot about it.
to swim and win her first gold medal at the Athen Olympics of 2004. She continued on and won three more gold medals at the London Olympics of 2012, and set the World’s Record for 100-meter butterfly. Long QT Syndrome can cause sudden uncontrollable arrhythmias in response to exercise or stress. This syndrome affects the process of repolarization, which is the recharging of the heart after every heartbeat. LQTS is a result of a defect found in the ion channels, causing a delay in the recharge of one’s heart. There isn’t a cure for LQTS but there are treatments that can improve chances of survival. Dana is believed to have “out grown” her condition, for doctors can no longer detect any signs of it. Even with the heart condition she never stopped competing. Dana still continues to swim today, she even competed in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. LQTS can be treated but not cured. A few treatments include Beta blockers, sodium channel blockers, pacemakers, ICDs, and surgery can be performed for people with high risk of death from the syndrome. There isn’t much prevention for Long QT because it is an inherited disease. If a member in your family has had LQTS you should go to the doctor to be sure you don’t have it because it is an inherited condition. I didn’t know there was a disease called Long QT Syndrome, so through this project I have learned a lot about it.