nonsustained ventricular tachycardia

[Justis]

I had an episode of what they called nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.  92 beats per minute 29 beats.  Duration approximately 21 seconds.  Technically is it tachycardia being that the heart rate was under 100 beats per minute?  Could this be considered a benign form of V-tach?

I had an echocardiogram.  My heart looks great on paper.  Just mild mitral valve prolapse.
Had EKG.  Normal.
Had Stress echo.  Exceeded limits for my age group.  Perfectly normal.  No evidence of heart disease.

What are my risks of sudden death due to my one episode of Ventricular tachycardia? Any thoughts?

[grendslori]

Ventricular tachycardias run slower than tachycardias that originate in the atrium. If your heart is structurely sound you probably have little to worry about.

[Wisconsin2007]

Tachycardia is defined as a HR over 100bpm, so every one of us has tachycardia when we exercise.  

My guess is they called it tachycardia because of it's origin, not it's rate.  NSVT means that your heartbeats were originating from your ventricles, not in your atria like they usually do.  Sometimes this can be dangerous, other times it's totally benign.  You've had all the appropriate tests.  All of 'em.  If the cardiologist isn't worried, you shouldn't be, either.

[stutterheart1]

What does it feel like when it happens? A ventricular rate in the 90s doesn't seem like tachycardia. Tachy would be more like 150+ unless your resting SA node rhythm is 45 and quickly doubled to 90 because of some sort of reentry circuit. Did your doc explain the morphology of the tachy?

[malan]

I have been having this for the past 4 years. My doc seems quite unconcerned and tells me not to worry, though he cant give me a cause. Of course I worry quite a bit about whether the doc is missing something. From what I have read on this site, if the heart is structurally normal, there seems no cause for worry. Your tests have come off ok and so you should be fine.
All the best,
Malan

[Jerry_NJ]

I do not have any personal experience with tachycardia, but it sounds like you just had a passing attack of it, only 21 seconds.. the HR then went to what rate?

Given you good test results I'd guess you are in any great risk at this time, there was no fibrillation as I understand your post.  

I suffer from AFib myself and have a ventricular HR that runs in the 80+ range much of the time, even in the 90s with little or no exercise.  In my case it is because the atrial is sending extra signals, there is nothing wrong with the ventricle...  Said another way, I don't consider a rest HR of 90-something as life threatening.   That's the way I see it, perhaps you'll get other views.  

Try to relax, enjoy life, and be aware of you body without obsessing on it.