puzzle

[malan]

Hello,
Could anyone solve a puzzle for me? Some years back, after some strength training exercises, I came down with many symptoms of heart failure like shortness of breath, fatigue, and an elavated bilirubin level. However,the earlier skipping heart beats  which I had been experiencing, had vanished. After stopping strength training and starting  40 minute walks, the heart failure symptoms disappeared, but instead I started getting NSVT episodes.
My question is: why this odd disassociation between heart failure and NSVT when there ought to be a corelation? Also, which is more unsafe- heart failure symptoms without NSVT or NSVT without heart failure symptoms?
Thanks,
Malan

[kenkeith]

Interesting information.  Thanks for the reply

[malan]

Hi,
Thnx for the post. I read in a reputed medical journal- I think European College of Cardiology- that high bilirubin levels may indicate heart failure. In fact my doctor was puzzled at the time, since I did not have jaundice or any other liver disorder. However, I did have SOB and a general heavy feeling, and used to do weights at the time. Since the NSVT appeared for the first time after stopping weights due to SOB, I corelated the SOB and NSVT with heart failure caused by weights. My cardio tests show a structurally normal heart with NSVT. However, they were carried out atleast a few months after stopping weights, and so don't indicate the state of the heart at the time of doing weights. The doctors have not been able to give me a cause for either the SOB or the NSVT.
Thnx again for the post and hoping that you are keeping ok.

[kenkeith]

It doesnt appear that bilirubin is associated with a heart disorder at least not directly. However, it can indicate liver disease, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis, or the effects of medicines that can damage the liver.  The symptoms  SOB, fatigue and high bilirubin level in all probability is related to something other than heart disease.  SOB and fatigue if a heart condition, would almost always indicate a low cardiac output.

However, NSVT increases the risk of subsequently observed heart disease. You should consult with your doctor to rule out anything serious.  Often, NSVT is not a condition of much concern, but your shortness of breath and fatigue should be evalulated... recording of spontaneous NSVT in apparently healthy individuals does not imply an adverse prognosis, provided that  cardiomyopathy and genetic arrhythmia disorders are excluded. These conditions may remain latent for several years and although apparently healthy individuals presenting with NSVT can be reassured about their prognosis, long-term follow-up is advisable.




  However, when the presence of occult ischaemia or structural heart disease was excluded, NSVT was not found to adversely influence prognosis, with cardiac event rates not exceeding those detected in age-matched populations without the arrhythmia.16,17 Tachycardia originating from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), one of the commonest causes of NSVT in apparently healthy individuals, may cause symptoms but the risk of death is very low.18,19