PVC's and PAC's .... some q's

[saedsak]

Questions about PVC’s/ PAC
In a 40yrs old healthy person, who preformed Stress ECG, ECHO and rest ECG 7 months back and all results come normal, does:
1- When they happen matters, at rest, with workout, during recovery, after eating….
2- The frequency of the PVC’s matters, or carry any clinical values, or predicts future heart serious problems
3- If the PVC’s occur in 2, 3, 0r 4 in a row do they carry any clinical values in compare to those happen in a single.
4- Will PVC’s or PAC’s lead to more serious arrhythmias down the road in a healthy person, heart?
Thanks,
,

[Mom2four85]

here's a health chat that a doctor here from Cleveland Clinic did a few weeks ago; he talks about some of the questions you've asked: http://www.medhelp.org/health_chats/archive/64

also, these expert forums http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Heart-Disease/show/114  http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Heart-Rhythm/show/730 have quite a lot of information on both heart rhythm and heart disease information

[is_something_wrong]

Hello.

Your questions are really common and I understand your concern. I would recommend that you ask your physician who knows your test results, but in general the answers are:

1. Except during exercise, the mentioned situations are known to increase premature beats (both PACs and PVCs). An increase in PVCs during exercise can sometimes be a bad sign, but increase in PACs during exercise is normal and common, and caused by excess adrenaline (especially if you are nervous during exercise and expecting the premature beats).

2. An increase in PVCs that can't be described by increased stress (not necessarily while stressing, just a stressed lifestyle), stimulants, etc, should be investigated by your physician, especially if it happens with or after an infection or along with chest pain or other symptoms.

3. PVCs rarely happen in series but PACs often do. With series I mean no normal beats or thumps between them, but some people have them. Should be investigated by your doctor if it isn't already. If your heart is normal it's usually benign. PACs will often cluster up in short supraventricular tachycardias. That's a normal phenomenon.

4. PVCs almost never do. PACs may sometimes trigger supraventricular arrhythmias in some hearts, but even that is rare. Almost everyone have PACs and/or PVCs but sustained arrhythmias are rare (not counting a few rapid beats, that's considered PACs).

[is_something_wrong]

Hello.

Your questions are really common and I understand your concern. I would recommend that you ask your physician who knows your test results, but in general the answers are:

1. Except during exercise, the mentioned situations are known to increase premature beats (both PACs and PVCs). An increase in PVCs during exercise can sometimes be a bad sign, but increase in PACs during exercise is normal and common, and caused by excess adrenaline (especially if you are nervous during exercise and expecting the premature beats).

2. An increase in PVCs that can't be described by increased stress (not necessarily while stressing, just a stressed lifestyle), stimulants, etc, should be investigated by your physician, especially if it happens with or after an infection or along with chest pain or other symptoms.

3. PVCs rarely happen in series but PACs often do. With series I mean no normal beats or thumps between them, but some people have them. Should be investigated by your doctor if it isn't already. If your heart is normal it's usually benign. PACs will often cluster up in short supraventricular tachycardias. That's a normal phenomenon.

4. PVCs almost never do. PACs may sometimes trigger supraventricular arrhythmias in some hearts, but even that is rare. Almost everyone have PACs and/or PVCs but sustained arrhythmias are rare (not counting a few rapid beats, that's considered PACs).