Upcoming tachycardia treatments get patients pumped up

A rapid heart rate is a common condition among elderly individuals, and represents a potential goldmine for pharmaceutical companies who can improve on the current treatment offerings, states a new report by healthcare experts GlobalData, which shows that the supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) market contains several popular medications, but there is room to grow if superior efficacy and safety can be developed.

Tachycardia is defined as a condition of rapid heart rate, which affects the ability of the heart to pump blood efficiently. The key driver responsible for the growth of the market was an increase in the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL), which represent forms of SVT.

According to the UK’s National Health Service, the prevalence of AF in the UK was estimated to be 1.4% in 2011, and the USA’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that, in 2050, 12 million people will be affected with AF. The incidence of atrial fibrillation increases with age, and therefore the increase in SVT can be linked to the increase in the aging population, as well as the rising prevalence of associated risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, mental stress, and lung diseases.