Palpitation & Heart attack

[aussie mum]

Just a question to think about !!

In Australia there is a lot of advertisement via t.v/radio about what we should do to prevent heart attacks (diet/lifestyle etc) there is also a LOT of the same thing about the warning sings if someone is having a heart attack. So guess what i keep hearing.... IF YOU EXPERIENCE OR HAVE A HISTORY OF PALPITATIONS SEEK MEDICAL ADVISE....

So i guess not only do these things give us all the ***** on a daily bases but how does one not think about the above happening when they reallyyyyyyyyyyy focuses on palpitation being one of the signs !!

O HAPPY DAYS....

[aussie mum]

Thank-you very much for that information. My palps have once again gone from nothing to heaps :{ which of course is making life just that little bit harder (anxiety etc !!) And because i do have mild LV enlargement now I'm thinking that it may have got worse ??

I think i may ask to have a stress test just to put my mind at ease. And one of the things i really hate is having to wait to have it done and then wait for the results. I'm really not good at waiting for things LOL when i guess all i really need is peace of mind.

Thanks again & Take care :}

[va_tony]

Yes, I have taken a half dozen treadmill stress tests and a few nuclear stress tests over the years. My cardiologist suggests I have one every three years at my age. They are not difficult or anything to worry about.  In the case of the treadmill test, a lab tech takes an echocardiogram of your heart to check dimensions, valves, ejection fraction, etc. while you are at rest.  Then the cardiologist enters the room and has you exercise on a treadmill while monitoring BP and ekg. The first three minutes are very easy, casual walking speed (1.7 mph) at 10 degree incline.  You are encouraged to wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes. Then each successive 3 minutes, the treadmill speeds up and is incline further.  My cardiologist shuts it off at 12 minutes (when I manage to last that long).  From 9 to 12 minutes (stage 4 of the Bruce protocol) the treadmill is moving at 4.2 mph and has a 16 degree incline. You don't have to stay on the full 12 minutes. The goal is to exercise sufficiently to reach your target heart rate for your age and to see how the heart behaves. So, some people can achieve that goal in 3 minutes and the treadmill is stopped.  For those unable to exercise on the treadmill, the cardiologist will inject a med to excite the heart (Cardolite stress test) while being monitored by ekg.  Immediately after you finish exercsing, you are given another echo.

Basically by monitoring how the heart's blood flow reacts to the exercise as well as your ekg and BP, the cardiologist can get a fairly good idea of your general heart health. The test can also detect arterial blockages but they typically have to be over 70% obstructed.

With a nuclear stress test, the procedure is similar except you are also injected with a radioactive dye and a scan is made of your heart. This can detect anomolies in blood flow before and after exercise. It detects blockages much more accurately.

If abnormalities (blockages ) are detected in the nuke stress test, the cardiologist usually oders a follow on catheter angiogram (invasive procedure performed in the hospital to precisely measure the degree of blockage and if necessary to stent the artery) or a 64-slice CT-angiogram (this is non-invasisive and similar to the nuclear scan). I've had a CT-A which detected several blockages of about 30%.

Your chances for a heart attack go up dependent on the number and degree of blockage found.

Most of the people posting on this board (i.e., those with just palps or svt) and under 45 will generally do well on a stress test, their hearts showing typical dimensions (definition of "structurally normal").

Best wishes

[aussie mum]

I love that saying "structurally normal"

I have never had a stress test but have echo etc. I'm thinking (for peace of mind) i will go have one done. However I'm a little concerned how i will go as i am over weight !! Do you think they take this into account when you get a stress test ??

Have you ever had one and if so what is involved. How do they come to the conclusion that from this test you may or may not be pre-disposed to having a heart attack??

Take care :}

[va_tony]

If you have been checked out by a cardiologist, had an echo, stress test, etc. and your heart has been found to be structurally normal, then you have little to fear from an occasional palp. You should try to not dwell on the palps.

I think the advertisement is aimed at those who haven't been to the doctors for many years and are just now experiencing heart palpitations. In their case, they may have cardiomyopathy or obstructed arteries and the palps are a consequence of the heart damage.