"The Increase in Absolute Arrhythmia a Thesis on the Causes of this Phenomenon"

The prevalence of absolute arrhythmia has been observed to increase continuously worldwide, as noted in medical literature and by health authorities such as Germany’s Federal Health Office. This phenomenon raises concerns about its underlying causes and potential strategies for mitigation. Drawing from over 46 years of experience in internal medicine, the author hypothesizes that the reduction in the use of digitalis glycosides— specifically digoxin and digitoxin—may be a contributing factor to this rise. Despite historical concerns over digitalis toxicity and the advent of alternative therapies like beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors, the author presents his successful experience with low-dose digitalis therapy in stabilizing heart rhythm without side effects in several hundred patients. This paper explores the potential benefits of reintroducing low-dose digitalis therapy to counteract the increasing incidence of absolute arrhythmia and calls for a reevaluation of its role in modern cardiac care.