| Author | Message | ||
     Alexa |
When I am under stress, I develop symptomatic premature ventricular contractions. Some of them are bigemies. They increase my anxiety and blood pressure, I feel the jumps in my chest, some are painful. I went to the Emergecny room twice to check my heart during bad PVC episodes. The EKG, and a stress Echo revealed a normal, healthy and well-trained heart except for the anxiety-related PVC's. The EKG during the PVC episodes showed 2 borderline QTc readings of 470 and, once, a prolonged QTc of 490. I also was hypothyroid. During the rest of the time my QTc ranges from 430 - 440. It does shorten with exercise. I am 39 years old female, without any symptoms of LQTS in my family history but my baby son is suspected to have LQT (assymptomatic) and is on b-blockers. My question is: Does the abnormal electric impulse that triggers my PVC'a interfere with the normal repolarization-depolarization cycle of the heart, and do PVC's make the QTc prolonged? Thanks as always. | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
It is not common for Long QT patients (except very rare genetic forms like Andersen syndrome) to have premature ventricular contractions. On the other hand it is seen sometime in healthy subjects, and since having LQTS does not protect against other problems, even LQTS patients can rarely have PVCs. The regulation of the QT interval is very complex and the commonly used correction method using the last beat is too simple, but since its easy we used it in clinical practice. I would not use a QT interval following a PVC but take a qt interval in periods without pvcs. Your second question if the pvcs interfere with the repolarization-depolarization cycle is a very good one. Sudden changes in heart rate are followed by more slowly changes in the QT interval. And this discrepancy can in few cases give arrhytmias in long QT. In practise I havent seen it as major problem | ||
| John Harper |
I have recently been diagnosed with PVC'S after an Echocardiogram and Stress Cardiogram....I have had them most of my life. Now 60 Years old. I also have Hereditary Hemochromatosis. I believe they are closely related. I think all PVC patients should test for Iron Overload. |