PVC's and PAC's

[scaredcanadian1961]

I know that PAC's and PVC's are common but I would like to find out exactly how common.  I have googled this thing to pieces and can't find out what the definition is.  

1.  A normal amount of PVC's and PAC's would be....once a minute, once an hour, once a day, once a week, once a month?
2.  I also get some little runs of what I think are PVC's for a few beats and then it stops.  Happens maybe once a week.  Should a person be concerned about that?  Gets me kind of panicky.
3.  I have been checked out 100% by two different cardiologists and they cannot find ONE thing wrong with me.  They say it is anxiety that is causing these things.  Even the least bit of excitment or stress will send me in to PVC's!  Is that normal???  They say I am just overly tuned in to these things.

Thank you!

[nathan1234567890]

Please help I am having very bad pain in right chest and slight pain in right arm.I'm 23 years old and need advice

[nathan1234567890]

Please help I am having very bad pain in right chest and slight pain in right arm.I'm 23 years old and need advice

[idmii]

As a heart patient, I have spent more time with cardiologists than I care to admit.  One thing I have learned is PAC's and PVC's are normal and occur in everyone.  The difference is usually the individual's awareness.  Some people are just naturally more aware of them than others.  If you are experiencing anxiety it can be a vicious circle.  Have PVC's > Get Scared > More PVC's! Good luck!

[marlinspike]

I have noticed that the doctors don't usually come back to a question once they have given an initial answer. I have never seen actual research on the issue, but have read many times of women saying their pvcs are worse around the time of their period (or a few days beforehand) and many others who say their pvcs started around the time of the menapuse. Oprah Winfrey says this about her palpitations. From reading these forums, I get the impression that the Cleveland Clinic do not usually suggest ablation for pvcs unless you have thousands every day and they cause unpleasant symptoms. I think I read a figure of 20%. If pvcs were life threatening, surely they would offer them to patients having far fewer? Not sure about whether pvcs can turn into afib.

[Heartflutters]

I have a question regarding your response to this post. You mentioned "your PVCs likely have no clinical significance unless they are extremely frequent." How frequent are you talking about? There will be says when I get them all day long, but that seems to oddly happen the most a little before, during and after my menstrual, is their any correlation between the two? On other occasions I will feel them But not as much as I do during my cycle. My heart rate is always roughly between 60-72 at rest but mostly in the 60's . Could it be that during my cycle and ovulation, that I am more sensitive to them when they happen? Can all forms of PVC's at one point develope into A-Fib? Any feedback would be appreciated.

[Heartflutters]

I have a question in regards t

[CCFCardio MD2]

PVCs are extremely common.  Most studies suggest that up to 80% of normal individuals have at least 1 PVC in a 24 hour period.  The reason you are having trouble finding a "normal" frequency of PVCs is because it is not clear.  Several studies looking at PVCs and their potential detrimental effects on cardiac function have used different cut-offs.  Some use >20,000 PVCs in 24 hours, some use >10,000.  Others use percentages, such as >10% of beats or >25% of beats as the cut point for where PVCs may start to impair ventricular function.  If you have a normal heart and no history of a heart attack, your PVCs likely have no clinical significance unless they are extremely frequent.  Some patients are more aware of PVCs than others, so drugs such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers can be used to suppress PVCs with the intent being symptom relief only.  PACs are also common, seen in up to 75% of young adults and in almost all elderly patients with normal hearts.  They only occur at a frequency of more than 100 beats per day in about 2% of normal young adults with healthy hearts.  If you feel runs of what you think are PVCs in a row, this may be more concerning and should be further evaluated by your physician.  Hope this helps!

[achillea]

You have offered a series of excellent, thoughtful posts on this subject!

[marlinspike]

Just had a look through a few sites, and 1000 pvcs in 24hrs seems to be considered 'frequent' in the medical community. To put yourmind at rest further, I have read many times that pvcs are easy to identify on ecg and don't lead to other heart diseases. Your best action is to eat a heart healthy diet, maintain sensible weight, don't  drink heavily or smoke, exercise, and relax. These will have a greater effect on your health than a few irregular heartbeats.

[marlinspike]

I would agree that you get tuned in to them. I am now aware of every little sensation in my chest, which causes a rush of adrenaline and surge in anxiety. Mine were not caused initially by anxiety but it makes them worse. All I can say is that I have read a huge amount about pvcs - on forums and research articles - and everything suggests that they are benign in a structurally normal heart. If you have had appropriate testing, the best course is to try to relax and ignore them. Please don't waste years, like me, panicking about something that will not kill you. 'Self Help for Your Nerves' by Dr Claire Weekes is a fantastic book for anxiety, and the free guided meditations on the Insight Timer app (free) help me to relax.

[marlinspike]

Hello. The patient.co.uk website article 'Extrasystoles' quotes research that says ectopic beats are found in 60% of people who have a 24hr monitor. I have certainly heard the figure of 40% mentioned. As you say though, this could be one or two pvcs or hundreds. Your heart beats 100,000 times a day so it would be virtually impossible for it to be perfectly in time all the time. Even 500 pvcs a day is only 0.5% of heartbeats a day. I have thousands of pvcs a day at times and still my doctors are not concerned - though I am caused huge anxiety by them. Look up the research by HL Kennedy ' Long Term Prognosis Frequent Ventricaular Ectopy'  - even people with average 500 plus pvcs an hour had the same prognosis over 10 years as people without pvcs. It's the nature of the arrythmia, not the frequency, that matters.