Researchers identify role of nerve cells in Long-QT Syndrome Type 2

A research team at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) has discovered that sympathetic nerve cells play a significant role in Long-QT Syndrome Type 2 (LQT2). While LQT2 is primarily known for genetic mutations affecting potassium channels in heart muscle cells—which delay electrical stabilization after a heartbeat—the new study indicates that nerve cells are also overexcited.

These nerve cells are responsible for accelerating the heart rate during physical or emotional stress. Their heightened activity can further increase the heart's vulnerability to dangerous arrhythmias. The findings, published in the journal ‘Nature Communications’, suggest that the electrical dysfunction extends beyond the heart muscle to the nervous system components that regulate heart rhythm.