Picking up the Pace of a Slow Heartbeat

Presented by: Insert Physician Name/Title

Does This Sound Familiar?

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Out of breath Wears you out Makes you dizzy

This isn’t normal and may be the first

signs of a heart rhythm problem.

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Aging is Inevitable…Slowing Down
Doesn’t Have to Be…
• A healthy heart beats
between 60–100 times
per minute
• A slower heartbeat can’t
pump enough oxygen-rich
blood to the body
• Can cause lethargy, shortness
of breath, dizziness, fainting
• Limits ability to exercise, or
even do normal daily activities.
©iStockphoto.com

3 © 2011 Medtronic Content is Confidential and Proprietary

There’s a Name for It!
Bradycardia:
A slow or irregular heart rhythm, usually
less than 60 beats per minute
– What causes it?
– At what age does this generally set in?
– What are the symptoms?
– How do I find out if I have it?

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How Can I Pick Up the Pace?
• Lifestyle changes
• Medication therapy
• Implantable pacemakers
– What is a pacemaker?
– How does it work?
– How do I know if it is time
for a pacemaker?
– Living with a pacemaker

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Can I Lead a Normal Life with a
Pacemaker?
Yes – Let’s address some commonly
you can! asked questions:

Can I go through airport security systems?

Can I use a cell or cordless phone?
Are household appliances safe to use?

Are physical activities safe?

What happens when the battery runs out?

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 What Else Can Happen?
• It’s no secret;
issues with our
health increase as
we age
• Cancer
• Stroke
• Joint or muscle
pain/injuries
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• Neurological diseases

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 Raise Your Hand…
• If you’ve ever undergone an MRI

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) –

is the preferred imaging technology among
physicians to find out “what’s wrong”
• Speed and accuracy of the picture it provides
allows for more rapid diagnosis

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…And What If I Need a Pacemaker?
Traditional pacemakers are Historically, the FDA and
not compatible with MRI doctors have recommended
because of a risk of harmful that pacemaker patients NOT
interaction between the undergo an MRI
device and the
electromagnetic field1,2,3,4

30,000

>
times
PO
F ©iStockphoto.com
©iStockphoto.com

1. Faris OP, Shein M. Food and Drug Administration perspective: Magnetic resonance imaging of pacemaker and implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator patients. Circulation 2006;114:1232‐1233.
2. Roguin A, Schwitter J, Vahlhaus C, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging in individuals with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices. Europace 2008;10:336 ‐346.
3. Levine GN, Gomes AS, Arai AE, et al. Safety of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with cardiovascular devices: an American Heart Association scientific statement from the Committee on
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac Catheterization, Council on Clinical Cardiology, and the Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention: endorsed by the American College of Cardiology
Foundation, the North American Society for Cardiac Imaging, and the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. Circulation 2007;116:2878‐2891.
4. Kalin R and Stanton MS. Current clinical issues for MRI scanning of pacemaker and defibrillator patients. PACE 2005;28:326 ‐328.

9 © 2011 Medtronic Content is Confidential and Proprietary

Did You Know…?

200,000 Pacemaker patients in the US annually

are denied access to an MRI scan5

50-75%
probability that cardiac device patients
will be indicated for an MRI over the
lifetime of their devices6

5. Medtronic calculations cited in Rod Gimbel and Ted McKenna, “Safety of Implantable Pacemakers and Cardioverter Defibrillators in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Environment,”
Business Briefing: Long‐Term Healthcare 2005 (2005) available at www.touchbriefings.co
6. Kalin R and Stanton MS. Current clinical issues for MRI scanning of pacemaker and defibrillator patients. PACE 2005;28:326‐328.

10 © 2011 Medtronic Content is Confidential and Proprietary

Why Is Access To MRI So
Important?
• Provides highly detailed images of soft
tissues (organs, blood vessels, muscles,
joints, tumors, areas of infection, etc.)
• More accurate than X-ray or CAT scan
• Use of MRI* on the rise as the population
ages
• Each year:
‾ 60 million MRIs are performed
worldwide8
‾ 30 million MRI scans performed in the
U.S.9

* Commonly used to diagnose strokes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, muscle, bone and back pain – all commonly seen as we age
8. Sutton R, Kanal E, Wilkoff BL, Bello D, et al. Safety of magnetic resonance imaging of patients with a new Medtronic EnRhythm MRI SureScan pacing system: clinical study design. Trials 2008, 9:68.
9. IMV, “Benchmark Report: MRI 2007,” IMV Medical Information Division. Des Plaines, IL. 2008

11 © 2011 Medtronic Content is Confidential and Proprietary

 Is There Anything I Can Do?

Anyone needing a pacemaker now has a

Yes – new option that allows MRI access
you can! First and only pacemaker system FDA-approved for use in
an MRI environment

“ I am in the medical field. I am a radiologist

and I didn’t even know that there was an MRI
conditional pacemaker out there when I
needed a pacemaker. It took me having to “
ask my doctor about it
–Dr. Lee Friedman

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 Where To Go for More Information
• Important resources
and informational tools:
• Disease and device
information
• Frequently Asked
Questions
• Quiz: My Pacemaker. My
MRI. My Guide
• Personal stories:
spokesperson Debbie
Allen, pacemaker patients
• Share your story and
become a Pace Maker!
www.JointhePaceMakers.com

13 © 2011 Medtronic Content is Confidential and Proprietary

Take an Active Role in Making
Treatment Decisions with Your Doctor

Ask me
questions!

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10. National Council on Aging (NCOA) Survey on Medical Imaging Safety, February 2011.

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Important Safety Information
• An implantable pacemaker system relieves symptoms of heart rhythm disturbances. They do this by restoring
normal heart rates. A normal heart rate provides your body with the proper amount of blood circulation. The
pacemaker system is intended for patients who need rate-adaptive pacing or chronic pacing or for patients who
may benefit from synchronizing the pumping of the heart chambers.

• Risks associated with pacemaker system implant include, but are not limited to, infection at the surgical site
and/or sensitivity to the device material, failure to deliver therapy when it is needed, or receiving extra therapy
when it is not needed. After receiving an implantable pacemaker system, you will have limitations with magnetic
and electromagnetic radiation, electric or gas powered appliances, and tools with which you are allowed to be in
contact.

• A complete SureScan pacing system including a Revo MRI SureScan IPG and two CapSureFix MRI SureScan
leads is required for use in the MRI environment. Any other pacing system combination may result in a hazard to
the patient during an MRI scan. When programmed to On, the MRI SureScan feature allows the patient to be
safely scanned while the device continues to provide appropriate pacing. The Revo MRI SureScan pacing system
is MR Conditional. This means the pacing system is designed to allow patients to undergo MRI, when your doctor
determines you meet patient eligibility requirements and the scan is conducted according to Medtronic directions.

• This treatment is prescribed by your physician. This treatment is not for everyone. Please talk to your doctor to
see if it is right for you. Your physician should discuss all potential benefits and risks with you. Although many
patients benefit from the use of this treatment, results may vary.

• For further questions, contact patient services at 1 (800) 551-5544, x41835.

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