What is the mortality rate for sinus arrythmia?

[lucyluu]

Im reading different things on this.  Im wearing an event monitor and I am consistently having sinus arrythmia this past week.  I still have one more week to go but I am getting nervous.  Does anyone have this and could they tell me a little bit about their situation?

Thanks,
Lucy

[lucyluu]

O Wisconsin, Im ok with hearing about stress and anxiety but I feel for a lot of people its not the route of the problem.  Maybe for some but not everyone.  I was just bothered by the way Jerry replied without asking more questions first.  If you look back through a lot of my posts you will see many discussions on stress and anxiety because it does have to be addresses.  There is a check off list to run down when you are having heart issues and the first thing to check off is are you stressed our or anxious.  

Hi Frenchie, Ill send you a note when I get the results.  I hope you are feeling well and loving that the weather is warming up fast.  I love where we live:)

[Wisconsin2007]

I know lucyluu doesn't want to hear about stress, but I'm going to write it anyway - it might help someone else who happens to read this.  When I'm extremely stressed, I can get my heart rate to climb 30-40 bpm on inhale.  Back down on exhale.  Saw it happen hundreds of times while I had my event monitor on last month.  Never felt any different.

[DodyRosy]

Definitely a fluctuation of 50 beats would not be normal if it's doing it quickly. But it is a normal range throughout the day with different activity levels. A heart rate in the 40s during sleep is normal and a heart rate to 150 (and sometimes above) is normal for exercise. I believe sinus arrhythmia is typically about a 10 beat difference with inhale and exhale. A heart rate that varies slightly like that is not a bad thing. Even though they say you shouldn't have symptoms some people can feel it. If you heart is dropping or raising 50 beats quickly, you would definitely feel it. Best of luck!

[jkfrench]

I also read that a heart that beats without any variation to it is not as healthy as a heart that has a fluctuating rate during the day.  I read this in a newspaper over 15 years ago and cut that sucker out and have kept it to this day!  So even back then, the "norm" was a heart rate that fluctuated versus one that beat exactly the same all day.  
It was in a Dear Doctor column.  I'll be anxious to hear the results of your holter.  Like you said, if it was something serious they would have called you back.
Frenchie

[lucyluu]

Thank you Dody so far that is all that the nurses are seeing on the EKG's that they are getting from me.  Its not a diagnosis but I would think that if something major was going on that they would not be so casual.  Im very excited right now but one nurse did say that its not normal because most people sustain the same hr over the whole EKG.  Im trying to figure out how to get this back to normal or controlled because when I fluctuate 50 beats or more is when Im getting pain and shortness of breath.  Im hoping that there are methods other than a beta blocker.  

[DodyRosy]

If your rhythm is "sinus arrhythmia" it is not life threatening or even a bad thing. You should research it on this forum or google it. I have this along with many other arrhythmias. All it means is that you heart slows and speeds up with your breathing. It is something that many athletes have and is considered a good normal response in a conditioned heart. There are other arrhythmias that do NOT originate in the sinus node and those are ones that frequently cause problems and may need to be treated such as a-fib, a-flutter, a-tach, junctional tach and other SVTs (I have all of those). Sustained ventricular arrhythmias such as v-tach and v-fib can be life-threatening. But if this term "sinus arrhythmia" is your actual diagnosis you really have nothing to worry about. The other type of irregular sinus rhythm is sinus tachycardia and that is a heart rate over 100 that is fired in the sinus node. This is usually treated with beta blockers. Hope this helps.

[ireneo]

Because I've had these arrythmias all my life, I just go with the flow. Back in 2000 a new doctor sent me to a cardiologist who thought I should have an ablation. I thought he was weird. In the end I had 3 ablations done. I still have my tachy times, etc. but they don't last as long. I guess that's an improvement.

I don't take meds. I did have to take Diltiazem for a few weeks before and after my surgery last year. Other than that, I don't take any. The arrhythmias are part of my life, they don't bother me other than the sensations. I found the medications to be more of a problem with their side effects.

[lucyluu]

That is funny..  Thanks for the info.  I cant wait to get this thing off and move on.  Its nice to have an answer to what I am feeling however.  Now I know what my heart is doing when I feel dizzy or short of breath and its not so scary anymore.  Are you on any meds for that or do you just though it out since it goes back down?

[ireneo]

Sorry it took so long to get back. I was taking care of my Mom today (been doing a lot of that since my Dad died last Fall).

A normal heart will change rate depending on activity (you know this). If we sleep, it slows down, if we walk up stairs, it increases. In many people it will speed up slightly as they inhale, slow down when they exhale. Yes, my heart does that. I can't say for sure exactly the number difference between the two since I've never counted it.  But those types of changes are considered normal sinus rhythm or in the case of exercise, normal sinus tach.

My tachy is called PSVT. My heart rate will jump to 150-198 just because it wants to, not because I'm climbing the stairs :-)  And it does it quickly, not a gradual increase like you would see if you were walking on a treadmill for example. I'll be reading a book, walking through the store, whatever and blip! my heart starts to race. The good news is that when it decides to go back to normal, it does it just as quickly, no slowing down. It just turns off as I call it.

For some people with IST (inappropriate sinus tach) their heart rate will jump way up over the slightest bit of activity. Kind of over reacting is the way I think of it.

Well, if dancing hearts are healthy, then I will live forever. My heart would take the prize at Dancing with the Stars. Talk about a great quick step and salsa. Hmmm.

[lucyluu]

The question is what it is and I see no where in post where I am under great stress.  Being nervous is different from great stress or needing to emotionally settle down.  Thinking I am dying was me back during the summer months.  If you check out some of my old posts that is me thinking I am going to die.  I am very calm now and its been noted by my doctors.  I have been instructed to not take my Propranolol anymore because my heart rate is so low.  I didnt ask if I was going to die.  I asked what the mortality rate was and for a person to respond who has this condition.  Ive been dealing with PVC's for months now and was told that was the only problem.  Now they are finding out this new information so I am trying to get all the details.  I have already made all the diet changes over the past 9 months.  I am right where andrew is.  No coffee, alcohol and less sugar and that has helped a lot.  We all know on this site that anxiety plays a role in some of our heart issues.  I didnt say that I was so scared that I couldnt get a reading like Jerry implied.  My readings have been beautiful, very clear and full of information.  Again I said I was nervous not emotionally unstable.

[andrew0099]

Lucyluu, I don't know if Jerry_NJ was assuming that all women are perpetually in a crazy emotional state...  The majority of men and women suffering with arrhythmia deal with a wide variety of emotions, stress and anxiety.  The title of your thread indicates that you are concerned with the life threatening aspects of arrhythmia, as most people are when they experience heart irregularities, benign or not.  I also made the assumption from your post that you are frustrated with your ryhthm problems, and are experiencing great stress because of it. If anything, please be relieved that your arrhythmia is occuring in the presence of an event monitor.  As most people on this forum can attest, event and holter monitors seem to be a temporary "cure" of palpiations!  We constantly struggle to provide our doctors with a record of our arrhythmia, which is needed to diagnose the problem.

The mortality rate of arrhythmia depends on the type of arrhythmia one is experiencing.  The majority of them are benign, and are experienced by a large percentage of the population.  The more serious arrhythmias, sustained V tach and V Fib, can be dangerous, especially in the presence of a structural heart defects.

I am a 27 years old, very healthy, and SVT crept into my life overnight.  It took me over a year to come to terms with the reality of my condition.  I am able to maintain normal sinus rhythm by maintaining a healthy diet, decreasing stress, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine... Wine literally became an absolute nightmare for me.  I used to be able to down a bottle in one sitting, but now struggle after one glass.  I do drink beer quite often, but never more than one or two over the course of a few days.

[Wisconsin2007]

I don't think it's a matter of a guy thinking a girl is emotional - it's a person with heart issues, spending months and months on this board, recognizing that someone else, no matter the gender, often has stress as a common factor in their heart issues.  Like me, for example.  And I'm a guy.  And I'd say the same thing Jerry said to other guys.

There are so many potential causes for an arrhythmia like that and so many are benign - I'd take Ireneo's advice.  Hang in there, record everything, let the doctors sort it out (my cardiologist gave that identical advice).

[lucyluu]

Thanks ireneo, Im just trying to set up a game plan for myself.  The nurses on the phone end of the monitor are so amazing and give you a lot of information.  My rate changes come when Im breathing.  Is this how it is for you?  Did your heart always jump to 160 or was it lower before and then got to where it is now.  I read something interesting last night.  These docs did a study on people that were dying and healthy middle aged people.  In people who were dying they said that the heart just held a steady rhythm and didnt change much and the healthy hearts jumped all over the place.  In the end result they said that a dying heart marches and a healthy heart dances.  This was the first positive thing that I saw on an arrythmia with no heart disease involved.  I like the way that sounds:)

[ireneo]

I've worn heart monitors so many times and they're a real nuisance. Don't worry about getting only "good" recordings. If your heart is acting strangely, record it. Let the doctors sort it all out.

So many arrhythmias are harmless but annoying as heck. If it's any comfort to you I've had arrhythmias (PAC's, PVC's and PSVT) for pretty much my whole life. My first memory of a tach time was when I was 7. I'm 56 now and still kicking. When my heart changes rhythm suddenly and without warning it will jump from 60 to 160 or higher within a beat. I've had 3 ablations and although my heart still likes to get excited, it doesn't last long, usually less than a minute and rarely 15 minutes.

Hang in there this last week with the monitor. The waiting and not knowing is bound to be upsetting. But soon you'll have some clear answers about what's going on in there. I do hope you'll let us know.

[lucyluu]

Thanks for the info but I am in a fine emotional state.  Ive had the thing on for a week and didnt start to get nervous until today.  Sinus arrythmia doesnt deal with high heart rate.  My heart rate is very low so my emotions are fine.  My heart rate in under a minute will go from 55 to a 100 and back again and that is what is causing all my chest pain.  I just dont understand why men just assume that a girl is in this crazy emotional state.  I know that Im fine or they would have called my doctor.  I am just trying to get long term info because my heart has been doing this for 3 years now and I like the experience and knowledge of the people who have been dealing with this heart stuff for 10 years or more.

[Jerry_NJ]

The "mortality" rate of sinus arrhythmia is about zero.  That's not to say it doesn't need medical attention, but most (almost all) arrhythmia are not life threatening.  AFib, one example, may cause the formation of clots, which could cause stroke, not necessarily death. I believe for a full-time AFib that has an annual rate of stroke in the range of 3%.  This is easily mitigated with anticoagulant therapy, e.g., aspirin or warfarin.

There are cases of arrhythmia that cause death, but given you have been checked by a doctor who prescribed an event monitor I'd say s/he doesn't see any immediate concern about your condition.  

My suggesting is try to settle down so the event monitor can get readings of your heart when you are in a normal emotional state.