Thread: Friend with Pacemaker

Sounds like you are describing sick sinus syndrome.. but that usually happens in people older than 65 years old. Potentially an AV block. Usually pacers go in for a-fib after they ablate the AV node to prevent rapid ventricular rates, doesn't sound like he had this done. Regardless, I don't think we know much about how anabolics affect the conduction system.. but that is what the pacer is for, to take over conduction. Usually people discuss cardiac hypertrophy with heart failure and coronary artery disease when it comes to gear.. so I guess technically your friend is right.. but I don't think anyone would feel comfortable telling him to go for it when you have a pre-existing cardiac condition. Everyone takes risk when on gear, his is probably a little bit more because no one really knows.

Originally Posted by thetank88

Sounds like you are describing sick sinus syndrome.. but that usually happens in people older than 65 years old. Potentially an AV block. Usually pacers go in for a-fib after they ablate the AV node to prevent rapid ventricular rates, doesn't sound like he had this done. Regardless, I don't think we know much about how anabolics affect the conduction system.. but that is what the pacer is for, to take over conduction. Usually people discuss cardiac hypertrophy with heart failure and coronary artery disease when it comes to gear.. so I guess technically your friend is right.. but I don't think anyone would feel comfortable telling him to go for it when you have a pre-existing cardiac condition. Everyone takes risk when on gear, his is probably a little bit more because no one really knows.

Perfusion issues and infarction can affect conduction. Gear has an effect on viscosity and coagulation. If he has Afib and is on anticoagulation therapy I would say absolutely not. If he has an idiopathic bradycardia maybe no big deal. Sick sinus syndrome usually a companies periods of tachycardia and Bradycardia.

Originally Posted by Geareduprn

Perfusion issues and infarction can affect conduction. Gear has an effect on viscosity and coagulation. If he has Afib and is on anticoagulation therapy I would say absolutely not. If he has an idiopathic bradycardia maybe no big deal. Sick sinus syndrome usually a companies periods of tachycardia and Bradycardia.

Sort of. If you have an ischemic cardiomyopathy that is affecting conduction due to large infarcted muscle tissue that could be an indication for CRS.. but he'd have to meet all the criteria.. QRS>130, EF <35%, NYHA III/IV etc... clearly not this guy (at least I hope not). Gear gives you a polycythemia affecting viscosity - agree with that. And tachy-brady syndrome gets its own name and can happen in about 50% of the people who have sick sinus syndrome (which is a type of idiopathic bradycardia). I'd just tell the guy not to.