Association Between Earthquake Exposure and Tachyarrhythmias: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
earthquake, tachyarrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, disaster medicineAbstract
Background: Major earthquakes impose sudden physical and psychological stress and may trigger cardiac rhythm disturbances, yet evidence on post-earthquake tachyarrhythmias remains inconsistent. We reviewed comparative studies reporting tachyarrhythmia-related outcomes after earthquake exposure.
Methods: We searched PubMed, Europe PMC, ScienceDirect, OpenAlex, and Google Scholar through 31 August 2026 for comparative observational studies published from January 2016 onward. Eligible outcomes were tachyarrhythmias or arrhythmia-directed therapies as defined by each study. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-E domains. Because study designs, outcomes, observation periods, and statistical structures differed substantially, we did not pool results; reporting was informed by SWiM principles.
Results: Five studies met eligibility criteria from 19 verified de-duplicated records. Ranjbar et al. reported increased sustained ventricular arrhythmia, whereas SVT did not increase significantly. Chan et al. found no increase in ventricular arrhythmias or device therapy after two Christchurch earthquakes. Babić et al. observed more paroxysmal arrhythmias requiring electrical cardioversion near the epicentres. Yıldırım et al. reported more AF admissions but no significant increase in VT. Polat et al. found increased device-detected ventricular arrhythmia and therapy, particularly subacutely. Three independent risk-ratio estimates from two studies were displayed without pooling; all five studies contributed to direction-of-effect synthesis.
Conclusions: Earthquake exposure may be associated with more tachyarrhythmic events in selected settings, but findings vary by population, outcome, and post-earthquake period. The evidence remains limited and heterogeneous. Better designed prospective multicentre studies are needed.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Robertus Saldi Cundawan, Sancha Melaris Hilarius, Jose Giovanny, Rahima Ratna Juwita (Author)
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