Gravitational Arrhythmogenesis Can the Often-heard Symptom of Body Position Dependent Palpitations be Proven

Brief Summary

Detailed Description

Rationale: Palpitations in a certain body position is an often-heard symptom, although there is currently no direct evidence that links body position with arrhythmia. The hypothesis is that arrhythmia is more prevalent in the specific body position that the patient reports to be arrhythmogenic. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between body position and the occurrence of either atrial or ventricular premature beats and more complex arrhythmia (AT, atrial fibrillation (AF), VT) in a population that have a self-reported preferential body position for symptoms. Study design: Single cohort study. Subjects are recruited from the outpatient clinic. First, they will fill in a short questionnaire regarding their symptoms; second, they will be outfitted with a downgraded polygraphy device, that only monitors body position, and single and/or multi lead ECG for 24 hours. The acquired data will be analyzed at the Catharina Hospital and the Eindhoven University of Technology. Study population: Outpatients with palpitations and a self-reported higher prevalence in a certain body position that have an indication to undergo Holter monitoring, independent of any previous diagnosis. Main study parameters/endpoints: The frequency of ectopic beats or onset of complex arrhythmia (n per minute) in the body position that the patient has reported as arrhythmogenic, compared to arrhythmia rate in the other body positions, corrected for time spent per body position.

Primary Outcomes