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Suggest Treatment To Reduce The Risk Of Atrial Fibrillation
Question: I have a question because I am confused.....today I went to see an Internist about my palpitations....I had them investigated 4 years ago and it came back as PVC's and SVT..short occasional runs....minimally symptomatic..also had a echocardiogram and stress test all normal .went in today because they redid an echo and ekg which are all normal. He put me on a monitor again just for reassurance even though he did say it is most likely the same thing happening the svt andpvc's. I mentioned that my mom has a fib and that I worry about that. He said that Pvc's can sometimes turn into a fib but yet I was told they are benign? I find this confusing....Being that I experience Pvc's and occasionally svt, which they are attributing to stress because I suffer from pretty severe anxiety disorder, do I have to sorry about this turning into a fib now or in the future? How would I know if it changed to fib without being constantly strapped to a monitor. I feel like everytime I feel a palpitation Im going to worry it is fib. Is there a change in the way I feel that I need to know about ....do I need to be regularly monitored for afib....Im kinda freakin out as my mom had a fib, high blood pressure and had a stroke at 53......my questions are
1. Can bengin pvc's and svt turn into a fib
2. how would I know they turned into a fib without being strapped to a monitor all the time
3. Do you recommend being rechecked periodically with pvc's and svt?
4. How does a fib present? Does a fib come in short bursts like my svt does and how would I know the difference?
5. Just because my mom has a fib am I going to get it? She had high bp, high cholesterol, thyroid problems etc
6. based on my history of minimally sypmtomatic svt and begin pvc's am I likely to get a fib
7. What can I do to prevent a fib
8.
1. Can bengin pvc's and svt turn into a fib
2. how would I know they turned into a fib without being strapped to a monitor all the time
3. Do you recommend being rechecked periodically with pvc's and svt?
4. How does a fib present? Does a fib come in short bursts like my svt does and how would I know the difference?
5. Just because my mom has a fib am I going to get it? She had high bp, high cholesterol, thyroid problems etc
6. based on my history of minimally sypmtomatic svt and begin pvc's am I likely to get a fib
7. What can I do to prevent a fib
8.
Brief Answer:
You are at very low risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I would like to explain you as follows:
1) PVCs cannot turn into atrial fibrillation, while SVT may interchange with atrial fibrillation.
BUT, you lack a favorable myocardial substrate to initiate and maintain an arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation That is, the absence of a possible presence of cardiomyopathy, with underlying myocardium remodeling, possible ischemia, chamber dilation (atrial dilation), valvular dysfunction, etc. which would consequently lead to electrical remodeling and maintenance of atrial fibrillation.
Fortunately, you have a structurally normal heart (as has been shown already by the performed cardiac tests). As a result, the probability of atrial fibrillation occurrence and especially maintenance is extremely low. So relax!
2) Clinical recognition of atrial fibrillation is a bit difficult, as frequently is may be clinically silent or when it is symptomatic, besides some very few clinical elements like an irregularly irregular arterial pulse and heart beats feeling, it is quite impossible to differentiate atrial fibrillation from other atrial arrhythmias, like chaotic atrial rhythm, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter with a variable block, etc.
The best reliable way to differentiate atrial fibrillation is by having a documented registration on the concomitant resting ECG or event (loop recorder, Holter monitoring) recorder.
3) When palpitations become frequent to the extent, such as to cause daily disturbing complains, and associated limiting symptoms such as dyspnea, chest discomfort, etc. you need to consult your doctor and re-evaluate the quantitative importance (PVCs SVT, and possible atrial fibrillation) by an ambulatory ECG monitoring. Otherwise, a routine yearly checkup is enough.
As, you doctor has confirmed, your actual arrhythmic events (PVCs and short runs of SVT) have no important clinical consequences, and atrial fibrillation is much less likely to occur. So, relax! Try to relieve your increased anxiety (which obviously seems to be the only risk factor for possible atrial fibrillation triggering).
4) Atrial fibrillation may be presented with short paroxysms (some seconds to minutes or even hours); but may also be persistent, necessitating medical intervention for its conversion to normal sinus rhythm. It may be suspected when an irregular pulse (or palpitations) appears, and confirmed by ECG.
5) Generally speaking, atrial fibrillation is not a hereditary disorder, but some risk factors which trigger the arrhythmia do. From the other hand, a thyroid dysfunction may lead to cardiac arrhythmia. So, you need to be sure you haven’t that risk factor.
6) Generally speaking, as long as you haven't a documented cardiomyopathy, ischemic, valvular, etc. dysfunction thyroid disorder, have a normal cardiac ultrasound and stress test, you don't look at increased probability for developing atrial fibrillation. BUT, you need to control your anxiety disorder, to be sure of that.
7) You need to control all the potential risk factors for arrhythmia development (control BP, thyroid function, overweight, avoid heavy alcoholic drinks, manage anxiety, be prudent with anxiolytics drugs dosing, etc).
Hope to have been helpful to you!
If you have further uncertainties, do not hesitate to ask me!
Best regards, Dr. Iliri
You are at very low risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I would like to explain you as follows:
1) PVCs cannot turn into atrial fibrillation, while SVT may interchange with atrial fibrillation.
BUT, you lack a favorable myocardial substrate to initiate and maintain an arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation That is, the absence of a possible presence of cardiomyopathy, with underlying myocardium remodeling, possible ischemia, chamber dilation (atrial dilation), valvular dysfunction, etc. which would consequently lead to electrical remodeling and maintenance of atrial fibrillation.
Fortunately, you have a structurally normal heart (as has been shown already by the performed cardiac tests). As a result, the probability of atrial fibrillation occurrence and especially maintenance is extremely low. So relax!
2) Clinical recognition of atrial fibrillation is a bit difficult, as frequently is may be clinically silent or when it is symptomatic, besides some very few clinical elements like an irregularly irregular arterial pulse and heart beats feeling, it is quite impossible to differentiate atrial fibrillation from other atrial arrhythmias, like chaotic atrial rhythm, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter with a variable block, etc.
The best reliable way to differentiate atrial fibrillation is by having a documented registration on the concomitant resting ECG or event (loop recorder, Holter monitoring) recorder.
3) When palpitations become frequent to the extent, such as to cause daily disturbing complains, and associated limiting symptoms such as dyspnea, chest discomfort, etc. you need to consult your doctor and re-evaluate the quantitative importance (PVCs SVT, and possible atrial fibrillation) by an ambulatory ECG monitoring. Otherwise, a routine yearly checkup is enough.
As, you doctor has confirmed, your actual arrhythmic events (PVCs and short runs of SVT) have no important clinical consequences, and atrial fibrillation is much less likely to occur. So, relax! Try to relieve your increased anxiety (which obviously seems to be the only risk factor for possible atrial fibrillation triggering).
4) Atrial fibrillation may be presented with short paroxysms (some seconds to minutes or even hours); but may also be persistent, necessitating medical intervention for its conversion to normal sinus rhythm. It may be suspected when an irregular pulse (or palpitations) appears, and confirmed by ECG.
5) Generally speaking, atrial fibrillation is not a hereditary disorder, but some risk factors which trigger the arrhythmia do. From the other hand, a thyroid dysfunction may lead to cardiac arrhythmia. So, you need to be sure you haven’t that risk factor.
6) Generally speaking, as long as you haven't a documented cardiomyopathy, ischemic, valvular, etc. dysfunction thyroid disorder, have a normal cardiac ultrasound and stress test, you don't look at increased probability for developing atrial fibrillation. BUT, you need to control your anxiety disorder, to be sure of that.
7) You need to control all the potential risk factors for arrhythmia development (control BP, thyroid function, overweight, avoid heavy alcoholic drinks, manage anxiety, be prudent with anxiolytics drugs dosing, etc).
Hope to have been helpful to you!
If you have further uncertainties, do not hesitate to ask me!
Best regards, Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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