Nancy Guthrie’s 2 a.m. pacemaker spike on the day she vanished could mean that the elderly woman was involved in a heart rate-surging struggle with her possible captors, a lead cardiologist speculated Thursday.

In most families a phone is the first thing looked at once someone has vanished; in other cases, a heart device software creptily takes the place of a clock. The case of Nancy Guthrie, 84, sought has demonstrated the role of contemporary investigations by relying on two rather contrasting types of evidence: upsetting messages that

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday and investigators believe time is of the essence as the 84-year-old would be in poor health without her medication.

"I firmly believe that being totally unaware of my condition, I could have gone into cardiac arrest."

Implantable heart pacemakers are lifesaving devices for heart patients, emitting electrical pulses to re-establish normal heart rhythms. However, when a pacemaker's battery depletes after about 10 years, patients must undergo another surgery to replace it, which poses additional health risks and financial burdens.

Your heart’s job is to keep your pulse steady to pump blood throughout your body. Sometimes your heart rate is slower when you’re relaxing, and sometimes it’s faster when you’re exercising or stressed. If your heart’s ability to keep the beat ...

Innovative symbiotic transcatheter pacemaker harvests heart motion energy for lifelong pacing. Learn how this could transform cardiac care.