Arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart rhythm.
Arrhythmias are like ice cream. They come in different "flavors" By flavors I mean different types. Most arrhythmias in an otherwise healthy 47 year old women are benign and at worst a nuisance. However some can affect the quality of her life because of there unpredictability.
When structural heart disease such as enlargement of the heart or a heart attack is present, then some arrhythmias could be life threatening. This is what was going on with Vice President Cheney.
For non serious problems medications such as beta blockers which block adrnealine's activity on the heart, calcium channel blockers or sodium channel blockers are used. For certain types of arrhythmias, a procedure called radio frequency catheter ablation may be performed in a hospital to destroy the focus of the arrhythmia and cure the person of the problem. This is not always available to every person with a heart rhythm problem.
For benign arrhythmias, there is no affect on longevity of life for the patient.
In the first stages of treatment for a benign arrhythmia, it can usuaully be handled by a good internist or cardiologist. For more serious arrythmias or if catheter ablation is required, then a cardiac electrophysiologist would be consulted on your sister's case.
Hope that helps.
