Abstract
Virtually, any kind of tachycardia may lead to the development of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. This term refers to left ventricular dysfunction and dilated cardiomyopathy pattern that occur as a consequence of persistent tachycardia.
Impaired left ventricular function in the presence of tachycardia can be found accidentally, but it is often associated with progressive symptoms and signs of heart failure that force the individual to seek medical help. A hallmark of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy is the reversibility of both hemodynamic and structural changes after cessation of the index tachycardia.
However, contractile dysfunction and structural changes may persist even weeks after the rhythm/rate correction. Therefore, tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy should be considered as a probable reason of ventricular dysfunction and dilatation in any patient presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy pattern, despite that the initial rhythm is not pathological or the heart rate is well controlled.
This review summarizes our current knowledge about this specific form of cardiomyopathy.