[CMoore416]

Do you have 7000 in a day?

[dr461]

Originally Posted by tom

DAVID

well my heart is not normal, (leaky valves, diastolic relaxation issues, enlarged, significant bradycardia) yet my PVC's were determined to be benign by virtue of a 24 hour holter ruling out non benign issues (I wont mention) and the key finding was when I did the treadmill stress test and got my heart rate up to 70 (resting is 42, ambient is 55) the PVC's dissappeared. I was advised to go back to a somewhat vigorous exercise program (I am an ex marathoner), so I do 4-5 miles every day at a pace that keeps my heart rate above 70% of MHR (bad knees not withstanding). Sure enough the PVC's stopped, even at rest. However I was told that over time, very frequent PVC's can lead to a condition called PVC induced cardiomyopathy especially considering the enlarged heart gratis all those years of running, but to be reassured that many treatments are available should that condition begin to show up. So if one is having thousands of PVC's day after day, I would not just dismiss it because ones heart is normal at present. Find the cause, be it diet, lifestyle, anxiety, stress, etc. and eliminate it... especially if worrying about it is the root cause. Also of importance is the percentage of PVC's to total heart beats in a day Since I average 72,000 beats on a day i don't run , 7,000 PVC's is about 10%.

YOU ARE WRONG--that is scare folklore. You have it backwards. In your post, you directly stated that you don't have a normal heart--you have runner's cardiomyopathy (enlargement from excessive exercise). That was not caused by PVCs, it was caused by other causation agents. The PVCs in your case were a symptom of underlying cardiac issues, and abnormalities. So, frequent PVCs have NOTHING do do with your issues--the heart abnormalities do. People with structurally normal hearts do not have any risk of cardiomyopathy from PVCs--in your case, it was one of many symptoms of heart issues. You've got it backwards--the PVCs don't cause the heart damage--the heart damage was the cause of your PVCs. So don't scare people with frequent PVCs--they are at no greater risk if they present with a normal echo. END OF STORY.

[Susie]

Have any of you ever written to Dr Richardson?

[dr461]

Never wrote to him, but my cardiologist knows him very well. Richardson did some seminars with him, and they are very much in touch with each other.