PVCs and intense cardio exercise

[Leonard11]

Within the last 6 months I've developed PVCs.  I'm in my mid-30s and am an avid soccer player.  I've been hypertensive for 10+ years but have been treating it with meds and diet since diagnosis in my mid-20s.  I take diovan and HCTZ (40mgs and 12.5mgs respectively).  My resting pulse rate is usually 60-70.  I probably get about 2 or 3 PVCs per hour and have had an echo test, stress test, halter monitor, etc, and have been cleared as healthy and fine by my doc.  I am learning to live with this, but what alarms me is that the PVCs increase with exercise.  They often become stronger and more frequent.  I try to ignore it and they often decrease in intensity the longer I exercise, but this is alarming.  I vowed that I would play soccer, basketball, etc as long as my knees could take it and am somewhat saddened by the possibility of giving up the game now due to what has been diagnosed as a benign condition.  I never get light headed or have chest pain when the PVCs come during games, but it is rather frightening.

[j_2tha_d]

If I had the luxury of  a dr telling me  my pvc's were just fine and my heart was A ok I'd be in heaven. Dont worry about it man if the dr says your find im sure your fine. The main problem is thinking about it to much I'm sure this brings on symptoms as well. The brain  and the body are nsync

[itdood]

There's much conjecture in the academic medical community about the significance of when PVCs occur.  10 years ago it was worrisome if higher heart rates didn't suppress ectopic beats like PVCs.  There was a study done in 2008 that contradicts this wisdom.  It found that if PVCs occur in the recovery phase of exercise it was prognostic of higher mortality (CAD believe it or not).  The study merely suggests that more study is needed, there were no conclusions drawn.  PVCs occurring at higher rates DID NOT show any prognostic value, meaning mortality was the same as the general population.  This wasn't what people expected to see.

When I hear someone concerned about PVCs I generally don't think rate dependency is the best predictor of what's going on.  It helps but it doesn't paint the whole picture.  Knowing where they originate, focus source of the ectopic, % of beats, when they happen in the heart the cycle, frequency, isolated versus runs, are there any swarms.....knowing all these can paint a better picture of prognostic value.  We are all looking to find out what this means for our future right?  That's the prognostic value of the knowledge, what can be predicted.  Right now I don't think anyone can tell you what your future holds.  What can be said though is that your heart being structurally sound is in your favor.