$Unique_ID{BRK00786}
$Pretitle{Circulatory System}
$Title{Does "Skipping a Beat" Indicate a future susceptibility to Heart
Trouble?}
$Subject{heart beat rhythm skip EKG}
$Volume{G-3}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Does "Skipping a Beat" Indicate a future susceptibility to Heart Trouble?


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QUESTION:  I'm a 36 year old female in good health.  For the past 3 or 4 years
I've been experiencing and irregular heart beat (skips a beat).  This occurs
anywhere from 2-3 times a day to 2-3 times per week.  My EKG and blood work
were all normal.  Does this "skipping a beat" indicate any future
susceptibility to heart trouble or is it damaging of itself?

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ANSWER:  Any irregularity in the beating of the heart can certainly cause
anxiety in the patient and warrants a full work up which you seem to have
already undergone.  An accurate diagnosis of the type of beat which is causing
your "skipping" may only be made after studying the the electrocardiogram, and
you report this as normal.  That leaves me with the impression that you are
experiencing occasional premature beats in the rhythm of your heart, followed
by a pause which makes it feel as if a beat was skipped.  Some people describe
this as a palpitation, others as a flutter but the most common complaint
describes it as a skip.  When the source of the extra beat is in the
ventricle, it is named a ventricular premature beat (VPBs) and while this is a
frequent finding in many types of cardiac disease, it is also common in people
with otherwise normal hearts.  One study has shown at least one such beat in a
6-24 hour EKG in 20 percent of men 35-40 years of age, randomly selected from
a population of actively employed American men.  When a complete examination
can discover no sign of disease of the valves of the heart, and no evidence of
suffering of the heart from a lack of oxygen, there is a general consensus
among medical authorities that there is no need to treat the condition,
particularly when there are no other symptoms.  The skipping itself is not
damaging to the heart, nor does the presence of such a beat now make you any
more likely to suffer with "heart trouble" later in life.  However, prudence
would indicate regular examinations to keep an eye on the situation, and hold
your anxiety level down.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
