London Doctor's Heart Stops 14 Seconds Daily

A London cardiac specialist, Angeliki Asimaki, 45, lives with congenital heart defects causing her heart to stop for up to 14 seconds periodically. This condition, alongside a stroke at 26, has necessitated nine interventions, including open-heart surgery, for a significant heart defect discovered later in life.

Ms. Asimaki, who experienced dizzy spells and fainting from age 15, was diagnosed with intermittent complete AV block requiring a pacemaker. Pacemakers in the 1990s presented numerous lifestyle challenges due to their sensitivity to magnetic fields.

Her health journey continued with a pulmonary embolism and pneumonia at 21, and a stroke at 26. At 29, during surgery to replace pacemaker leads, surgeons discovered a "gaping hole" in her heart, leading to further open-heart surgery.

Driven by her own experiences, Ms. Asimaki is dedicated to heart research. Based in London, she has developed a novel cheek swab test for diagnosing and monitoring arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a condition linked to sudden cardiac death.

Despite her ongoing health management, Ms. Asimaki is a mother to two children, whose high-risk pregnancies were carefully monitored. She shares her story to offer hope, emphasizing that a managed life with serious heart conditions is possible.