Increased incidence of tachyarrhythmias and heart failure hospitalization in patients with implanted cardiac devices after the great East Japan earthquake disaster.

BACKGROUND After the East Japan Earthquake disaster there may have been a deterioration of patients with cardiovascular diseases. METHODS AND RESULTS We examined the data from 189 consecutive patients implanted with cardiovascular devices for the 6-month period before and after the Earthquake. In 170 patients with defibrillators, the number who experienced tachyarrhythmias increased significantly after the Earthquake (28 ± 5 vs. 34 ± 3 patients/month, P<0.05). In 74 patients with biventricular pacemakers, the number of heart failure hospitalizations significantly increased after the Earthquake (1.2 ± 1.0 vs. 2.7 ± 1.2 patients/month, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The East Japan Earthquake disaster unfavorably affected patients implanted with defibrillators or biventricular pacemakers.