Atenolol, etc.

Male. 57. 5' 11", 175 lbs. Non-smoker.

I have a left-bundle branch block with occasional
PVC's.

I have 'white coat' blood pressure problems. Always
150/100 in a doctor's office or hospital setting.

At home, when I take it - it is usually 130/78 or
lower - as an average.

I have had an echo, 2 or 3 ECG's, heart related blood
enzyme tests, 24-hour Holter, chest x-ray, Adenosine/
Thallium Nuclear Scan [ with possible small defect on
inferior wall of the left ventricle ].

Docs said this defect could be an artifact or even
a bit of my diaphragm showing up. Anyway, they said
nothing to worry about.

My cholesterol is 164 with LDL of 91 and HDL of 43.
Risk-Ratio factor of 3.8.

I was told that I should take 25 mgs of Atenolol per
day and one Baby Aspirin, and do get some cardio
exercise.

I realize you cannot be too specific...but all in all,
would you agree with my doc's plan of action.

Thanks so much for your service.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

This sounds like a reasonable course of action. Some doctors, including our own, often recommend a cardiac catheterization when there is an abnormal stress test, even if the test is just a little abnormal. However, that decision depends on other factors, such as the presence of symptoms.

[marta]

Can I just ask you a question.  What do you consider occassional PVC's?  Just wondering if that is once a week, once a day, once a hour or once a minute?

I have PVC's as well and wonder what others consider occassional.

[marta]

Can I just ask you a question.  What do you consider occassional PVC's?  Just wondering if that is once a week, once a day, once a hour or once a minute?

I have PVC's as well and wonder what others consider occassional.

[marta]

Can I just ask you a question.  What do you consider occassional PVC's?  Just wondering if that is once a week, once a day, once a hour or once a minute?

I have PVC's as well and wonder what others consider occassional.

[Bodoni]

My PVC's started a few years ago...
with 3 to 4 skips per minute. I would
get these for a couple of hours on
a given day...and then nothing at all
for a month or two.

Then last September, I started to get
them daily. 4 - 5 skips per minute
and usually all day.

I wore a 24-hour Holter and none
showed. [ Even though I could feel
the missed beats in my pulse that day
a few times.] However, on one ECG...the
doc thought he saw a few here and there.

However since the middle of November,
I have had virtually none. Oh, I may
get a skip or two once in a while.
But for the time being - they seem to
have retreated.

So, to this point - I guess I have
had a milder case of the