What qualifys as a heart disease

[momas]

Is arrhythmia an actual heart disease?

[Momto3]

The arryhthmia itself is not a heart disease.  However, it can be a symptom of heart disease.  What type of arrythmia are you referring to?  Any other symptoms?  Family history of CAD?

[momas]

I was told by the Cardiologist that I had an upper chamber and lower chamber arrhythmia. I had horrible palpitations and periods of feeling like i wanted to faint. I had a CT with contrast, stress echo and holter monitor. I am on Bystolic 5mg for now. I still feel the palpitations from time to time but not nearly as bad as before. I don't know what types of arrythmias there are. As we all know doctors are pressed for time at every visit so questions are answered very briefly. I wish they could type you a report that you can read and then you can ask questions.  Is the CAD you are refering to coronary artery disease?  I will tell you that my brother who died at the age of 48 at work one day supposedly did not die of a heart attack but had high blood pressure and really didn't take care of himself. How do you not die from a heart attack if your heart stops beating? sorry for the long e-mail question here!!

[Momto3]

Hi momas,

I'm sorry about the loss of your brother; 48 is certainly much too young to die.  

I'm not a doctor, but if I had to make and educated guess, I think your doctor is telling you that you have PACs (premature atrial contractions; these originate in the upper chambers of the heart) and PVCs (premature ventricular contractions; these originate from the lower chambers).  Some people can feel the extra beats while others are never aware.  Hard to imagine, but true.  Has the bystolic helped with the faint feeling?  

It's great that your test results did not reveal any heart problems!!  Did you know that you can ask your doctor (or his/her office staff) for a copy of the office notes, test results, etc?  I find that to be very helpful in understanding what's going on.

Yes, I was referring to coronary artery disease when I mentioned CAD.  The fact that your stress test was good is excellent.  The gold standard for assessing the arteries is a heart catherization, but with your excellent workup, I doubt they would order an invasive test.  As for your brother's sudden death, you may want to check the death certificate for cause of death.  While it could be heart disease, there are other potential causes.

Let me know if you decide to get copies of your reports, and if it helps.  Take care.