Long QT Syndrome

Treatment

For acquired LQTS, treatment is aimed at identifying, removing or correcting the element that is causing the LQTS. Usually this element is a medication.

For inherited LQTS, there are three main treatment options. Because certain treatments seem to work better for certain gene mutations, treatment recommendations for LQTS depend on the individual case.

Careful monitoring

Someone who is 50 or older when diagnosed and has never had symptoms (fainting, cardiac arrest) may not need treatment. The risk of developing symptoms for the first time after age 50 is not zero, but is probably low enough not to warrant daily medication.

However, it is very important for individuals over 50 to avoid medications that prolong the QT interval. These medications could trigger a fatal event. In addition, these individuals should pay careful attention to illnesses that could result in low blood potassium (illness in which there is diarrhea or vomiting).

Beta-blockers

Beta-blockers work for the majority of people treated for inherited LQTS. Recent studies suggest that beta-blockers may work better in certain genetic subtypes of LQTS.

View a short video to see how the difibrillator works.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD)

The ICD or ICD/pacemaker combination may be used in the following cases:

• Medications do not work or the individual has unacceptable side effects from the medications.
• There is a strong family history of sudden death.
• The patient's first symptom is a near sudden-death experience.

ICDs automatically sense life-threatening rhythms and deliver electrical therapy or life-saving shock directly to the heart.