wpw symdrome

  I was diagnosed with wpw syndrome about two years ago.  I was
  told that it was not a big deal but was refferred to a cardiologist for a
  second opinion.  I blew it off because I thought that this was just a different
  heart rythym and had been told that a lot of people have it and that it was
  nothing to worry about.  I have recently seen on the news that teenagers with
  WPW have been known to have something like mini heart attacks, where their
  hearts just stop.  They said that this can occur in ages 13-18.  I am 25
  and have experienced short episodes of what feels like "heart fluttering"
  where my heart speeds up or seems to "get stuck" and skip like a record.  It usually
  occurs for about 5 seconds.  I am wondering if this could have anything to
  do with having WPW, what WPW is, and what are the implications for someone
  who is 25 years old and exercises regularly.  Thank you for your time.

[CCF Cardio MD - MTR]

_
Dear Karen, thank you for your question.  WPW refers to the Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome which is a disorder in the electrical conduction system of the heart.  Normally, all the electrical signals from the top of the heart (the atria) can only be conducted to the bottom the heart (the ventricles) via a single pathway called the AV node.  A normal heartbeat occurs when the electrical signal originates in the sinus node of the right atrium and travels to the ventricles where ventricular contraction occurs to eject blood to the rest of the body.  In WPW, accessory electrical pathways exist between the atria and the ventricles that allow electrical activity to bypass the AV node.  Normally, these accessory pathways don't cause much trouble, but a fast heart rhythm called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) can occasionally occur due to the accessory pathway.  SVT is perceived by patients as a fluttering or palpitations.  I'm not sure what you are referring to with the heart attacks in young patients with WPW; I'm not aware of this information.  However, SVT is usually self-limited and doesn't pose a serious threat to most patients with WPW.  The accessory pathways can easily be eliminated with a catheter-based procedure called radio frequency ablation that lasts 2-3 hours and is usually curative. Medications can be used to slow down the rate of SVT when it does occur, but medications do not eliminate the accessory pathways.  If your symptoms are bothersome, then you may want to investigate a radiofrequency ablation procedure with a cardiologist.  If you are able to tolerate the episodes of SVT and you don't want to undergo a procedure, then medications can be used.  Overall, the WPW should not pose a serious risk to your health but it may help for you to see a cardiologist for another opinion.
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.   The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.