Pacemakers: Their Purpose and Demographics
A steady and dependable heartbeat is something we often take for granted, much like the air we breathe or the path we walk. If it wasn’t there, then neither would we. It is an uncomfortable thought, but one that impacts many of the population. This is why it is considered common in modern medical practice to implant a pacemaker as a means of preserving that life.
A pacemaker, according to the article, Pacemakers - What Are Pacemakers? by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “a pacemaker is a small device used to treat some arrhythmias. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. Pacemakers send electrical pulses to help your heart beat at a normal rate and rhythm. Pacemakers can also be used to help your heart chambers beat in sync so your heart can pump blood more efficiently to your body. This may be needed if you have heart failure” (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2022). Therefore, this little implanted device saves lives by steadying the heartbeat, and in the cases of those who are fully dependent upon it, like me, it literally is the only thing keeping our hearts beating at all.
While pacemakers have been permanently implanted for sixty-five years, they have been developing to perform their lifesaving task ever more efficiently and effectively for those who require such an implant.
It should be acknowledged that my personal situation, compared to the general population of those who require a pacemaker implant, is in the minority. This is because it is the result of a congenital heart condition, rather than age, and therefore, is in the minority of the demographic. As the article Pacemakers- What Are Pacemakers? by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states, “more than 70% of people who get pacemakers are at least 65 years old” (Schoenfeld, 2025). This reinforces the stereotype that older individuals primarily use pacemakers. However, this generalization leaves those of us who are younger than the prescribed age group with pacemakers, the other 30% of the 3 million+ members of the population (Schoenfeld, 2025), generally less focused on, by comparison, and therefore, logically more susceptible to being forgotten in this regard by general society.
While this general silence on the subject can lead to anonymity and a false sense of true normalcy, it can also lead to misunderstandings and also, potentially, danger.
Who else has a pacemaker? Has it impacted your life at all?
Reference list
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2022). Pacemakers - What Are Pacemakers? [online] www.nhlbi.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/pacemakers.
Schoenfeld, M. (2025). Cardiac Pacemaker. [online] Yale Medicine. Available at: https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/cardiac-pacemaker.
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