Long QT Syndrome Management during and after Pregnancy

Agne Marcinkeviciene; Diana Rinkuniene; Aras Puodziukynas

doi:10.3390/medicina58111694

Long QT Syndrome Management during and after Pregnancy

Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Nov 21;58(11):1694. doi: 10.3390/medicina58111694.

Authors

Agne Marcinkeviciene^{1

2

3}, Diana Rinkuniene^{1

2

3}, Aras Puodziukynas^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania.
² Department of Cardiology, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Clinics, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania.
³ Kaunas Region Society of Cardiology, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania.

Abstract

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is majorly an autosomal dominantly inherited electrical dysfunction, but there are exceptions (Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern). This disorder prolongs ventricular repolarization and increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, syncope, and even sudden cardiac death. The risk of fatal events is reduced during pregnancy, but dramatically increases during the 9 months after delivery, especially in patients with LQT2. In women with LQTS, treatment with β-blockers at appropriate doses is recommended throughout pregnancy and the high-risk postnatal period. In this review, we summarize the management of LQTS during pregnancy and beyond.

Keywords: long QT syndrome; pregnancy; β-blocker.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / therapeutic use
Arrhythmias, Cardiac
Female
Humans
Long QT Syndrome* / drug therapy
Long QT Syndrome* / genetics
Pregnancy

Substances

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.