Overcoming Heart Defects: Angeliki Asimaki's Inspiring Journey

Angeliki Asimaki's Heart Journey

Angeliki Asimaki, a cardiac specialist from London, has faced significant health challenges since birth, including two congenital heart defects that led to her heart stopping for as long as 14 seconds and ultimately resulted in a stroke at the age of 36. Now at 45, she has undergone nine medical interventions over the past thirty years, including an open-heart surgery. Following her stroke, doctors identified a substantial hole in her heart. Although she is unable to run or climb stairs, Angeliki maintains a healthy lifestyle after being diagnosed with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a condition that poses a heightened risk of sudden cardiac death.

Angeliki's Medical Challenges

What transpired with Angeliki?

Angeliki first noticed symptoms at 25, experiencing dizziness and light-headedness that progressed to fainting episodes up to six times daily. With no family history of heart disease, she underwent thorough testing for various conditions before it was revealed that her heart would stop for up to 14 seconds when her heart rate exceeded 120 beats per minute. After extensive evaluations, she was diagnosed with an intermittent complete AV block, indicating a lack of electrical signals between the heart's upper and lower chambers, which required the installation of a pacemaker.

“Initially, I believed my life was over. I felt terrified and frustrated. I was fainting so often that I couldn't even go to the bathroom without someone accompanying me, fearing I might collapse,” she recounted in an interview. Although a pacemaker was implanted, Angeliki faced ongoing difficulties, as the technology of the 1990s came with limitations, including restrictions on using microwaves and needing frequent battery replacements. She later suffered a hemorrhagic stroke due to a ruptured blood vessel in her brain, which led to the discovery of a significant hole in her heart that required open-heart surgery to repair. To date, she has undergone five pacemaker procedures, three ablations, and one open-heart surgery, totaling nine interventions.

Triumph Over Adversity

Angeliki's Rise Beyond Her Medical Struggles

Despite her lifelong challenges, Asimaki earned a PhD in cardiomyopathies from London and later interned at Harvard University, where she spent 11 years as a faculty member. She has successfully developed a method for diagnosing and monitoring ACM using a simple at-home cheek swab that analyzes protein localizations, providing a safer alternative to invasive heart biopsies. “I’m determined to expand this method to other diseases, but I can’t share more details as it’s not yet published. However, we are making progress,” she stated. Angeliki is now a mother of two, and despite the high-risk nature of her pregnancies due to her congenital heart issues, both children are healthy and thriving.

Recognizing Stroke Symptoms

Warning Signs of a Stroke

It is crucial to recognize the key warning signs of a stroke, which include:

• Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arms, or legs, particularly on one side of the body


• Sudden confusion or difficulty speaking


• Sudden changes in vision, such as blurred or double vision


• Sudden trouble walking or maintaining balance


• Severe headache


• Nausea or vomiting


• Changes in cognitive function or mood


• Fainting or temporary loss of consciousness