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Steve Poelzing, Ph.D., and Greg Hoeker, Ph.D.

July 14, 2025

Researchers identify why some heart rhythm drugs heighten risks when sodium levels drop

New research explains how low levels of the electrolyte sodium in the blood can disrupt the timing of the heartbeat in patients taking widely used rhythm-control medications such as flecainide, which is commonly prescribed for atrial fibrillation and other fast or irregular heart rhythms.

The study, by Virginia Tech researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in the journal Heart Rhythm, was conducted using guinea pig hearts and showed that blocking cardiac sodium channels with commonly prescribed medicine such as flecainide can make the heart’s electrical conduction unusually sensitive to even modest reductions in blood sodium levels.

Creating a healthier future. For everyone.

The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is one of the nation’s fastest-growing academic biomedical research enterprises and a destination for world-class researchers. The institute’s Virginia Tech scientists focus on diseases that are the leading causes of death and suffering in the United States, including brain disorders, heart disease, and cancer. Since its founding in 2010, the research institute has experienced unprecedented growth: doubling its enterprise and lab facilities in Roanoke, while also investing in brand-new laboratories on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.

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Giving to the Research Institute

Your generous support of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's rigorous biomedical research enterprise makes a difference for our faculty, students, and patients. Every donation helps accelerate the pace of new discoveries to help patients with cancer, neurological disorders, heart disease, and even rare genetic disorders. Private donations fast-track our progress.