The simple check that could save your life if you have a pacemaker

To many of the 50,000 people in the UK each year fitted with a pacemaker, they are literally a life saver. Placed under the skin of the chest, they detect when the heart beats too slowly or erratically and instantly emit an impulse to correct the rhythm.

But pacemakers aren't all good news. While correcting the heart's rhythm can reduce the risks of breathlessness, fatigue, even fainting in some cases, they can also increase the risk of heart failure – one theory being that the heartbeat initiated by a pacemaker is less well co-ordinated than a normal beat, increasing the workload of the heart. Over time, this leads to changes in the heart muscle walls which can ultimately lead to heart failure.

The regular checks currently carried out on patients with pacemakers – around 500,000 in the UK – focus on ensuring the leads that connect it to the heart and the attached battery are working correctly. But research has found that checking on the patient's heart function at the same time can detect early signs of heart failure and possibly save lives.