Heart rate great on 100th birthday

Dr. Mark Kazatsker, Head of the Pacemaker Service at Hillel Yaffe's Heart Institute, has many patients, most of whom he knows personally due to the nature of the clinic he has run for several years at the Heart Institute.

"Most of my patients are between the ages of 60 to 80, if not older," he said. "Some are even over 90, though very few are both lucid and in good enough health for them to be able to come to the clinic for routine pacemaker exams, about once every six months."

In that respect, Mossia Varnia is different. She received her pacemaker last year, when she was 99, a ripe old age by any standard. The reason was heart block, because of which she required a temporary pacemaker and later a permanent one. Since then, Ms. Varnia comes to the clinic for check-ups, accompanied by her son (who is 80) and a caregiver.

This week, she came in for another checkup. Dr. Kazatsker noticed that her birthday appeared on her admission form - July 1916. A quick calculation showed that she would be celebrating her 100th birthday this month. When he opened the clinic with congratulations and best wishes, she immediately said that she would be very happy if he would come to 100th birthday celebration, which would be a modest occasion with her family in Hadera. Dr. Kazatsker thanked her for the invitation and said he would be happy to attend.

Implantation of pacemakers in people who are 90 or above depends on the patient's condition and not on their age. That's why it is not a problem to implant pacemakers in patients who are 90 or older when they have a problem that requires one. Pacemakers are uniquely programmed for each and every person, though the programming for a 40 year old is clearly different than that for a 90 year old. "It's a great privilege to be able to help people of any age and especially those who are 100," said Dr. Kazatsker.

Dr. Kazatsker examining Ms. Varnia