Hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias: a consensus document from the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and ESC Council on Hypertension, endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estimulación Cardíaca y Electrofisiología (SOLEACE)

Abstract

Hypertension is a common cardiovascular risk factor leading to heart failure (HF), coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease and chronic renal insufficiency. Hypertensive heart disease can manifest as many cardiac arrhythmias, most commonly being atrial fibrillation (AF). Both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias may occur in hypertensive patients, especially in those with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) or HF. Also, some of the antihypertensive drugs commonly used to reduce blood pressure, such as thiazide diuretics, may result in electrolyte abnormalities (e.g. hypokalaemia, hypomagnesemia), further contributing to arrhythmias, whereas effective control of blood pressure may prevent the development of the arrhythmias such as AF. In recognizing this close relationship between hypertension and arrhythmias, the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Council on Hypertension convened a Task Force, with representation from the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estimulación Cardíaca y Electrofisiología (SOLEACE), with the remit to comprehensively review the available evidence to publish a joint consensus document on hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias, and to provide up-to-date consensus recommendations for use in clinical practice. The ultimate judgment regarding care of a particular patient must be made by the healthcare provider and the patient in light of all of the circumstances presented by that patient.

Keywords

Affiliated Institutions

• Odense University Hospital DK
• Memorial Ankara Hospital TR
• Korea University Medical Center KR
• University of Southern Denmark DK
• Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca ES
• Consorci Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi I Sunyer ES
• St George's, University of London GB
• University College London GB
• Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) BR
• University of Groningen NL
• Danderyds sjukhus SE
• Federico II University Hospital IT
• Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena IT
• Eskişehir Osmangazi University TR
• University Medical Center Groningen NL
• National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases SK
• Karolinska Institutet SE
• Taipei Veterans General Hospital TW
• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours FR
• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University TW
• Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases of Vojvodina RS
• University of Modena and Reggio Emilia IT
• Aalborg University DK
• University of Birmingham GB
• University of Colorado Denver US
• Universidad de Murcia ES
• Istanbul University TR
• University of Belgrade RS
• Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy RO
• Universitat de Barcelona ES
• Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa TR
• Jose Matias Delgado University SV

Related Publications