Causes & Risk Factors Of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a condition in which individuals are born with an accessory pathway in their hearts, which can cause many complications. There have been occasional cases of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome leading to cardiac arrest, and it can be fatal. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can be somewhat unpredictable, as some who are born with it never experience symptoms while others can become symptomatic at any age. While the true cause of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome remains unknown in many cases, there is evidence to suggest, in addition to the extra electrical pathway in heart, there are a few other factors for the condition.

Abnormal Gene

There are seven known mutations in the PRKAG2 gene linked to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Studies suggest mutations in this gene change the functioning of AMP-activated protein kinase, which thereby alters the enzyme's ability to meet energy demands from cells. Currently, research is not conclusive on whether the enzyme suffers from a decrease in activity or if it becomes over-activated.

What is known about Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is, when it is familial, it is autosomally dominant regarding genetic inheritance. This means fifty percent of a person's offspring will inherit this abnormal gene and could potentially develop Wolff-Parkinson-White symptoms. This cause is considered rare, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy might accompany the abnormality.

Extra Electrical Pathway In The Heart

Patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome have an extra electrical pathway in their heart, which is known as an accessory pathway, and it lets electrical signals go past the atrioventricular node, causing signals to become disrupted and tachycardia to occur. This can leave an individual feeling like they are short of breath, and they might even experience fainting episodes. While heart palpitations are fairly common and do not typically cause serious harm, arrhythmia associated with them, especially paroxysmal superventricular tachycardia in the case of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, can cause cardiac arrest and are potentially fatal.