A Poison for Palpitations

by David Sugarman

You've seen them in movies.

Tarantulas — those big hairy spiders that move in a slow, creepy way. And they are supposed to be deadly (but really aren't, although their bite is really painful).

For lots of people, having one of these things walking up their arms would be enough to cause a heart attack. But what about preventing heart problems?

Scientists have found that a protein in tarantula venom can actually prevent a form of irregularity in heart beat rhythm.

A very common type of abnormal heartbeat rhythm is a rapid beating of the upper chambers of the heart, the atria. It can be caused by the heart overreacting to a stretching of the atria as they fill with blood. A protein in tarantula poison prevents the stretching that can cause this unusual heart rhythm. This abnormal rhythm, called atrial fibrillation, is eliminated and a normal heartbeat is restored.

You just never know in what ways one of our fellow creatures might lend us a helping hand — or leg.