“When many, many PVCs occur, up to several thousand in 24 hours, the lack of synchronized heartbeat can cause a temporary reduction in the heart’s pumping function,” explains cardiologist Dr. Pam Marcovitz, MD, medical director of the Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center, at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.
“Fortunately, this is almost always reversible with catheter ablation.”
If you suspect that you’re having thousands of PVCs a day, then speak with your cardiologist about being set up with an at-home device called a Holter monitor.
You wear it around your torso and it records your heartbeats, including premature ventricular contractions, for 24 hours. The data will include how many PVCs you had in that period of time.
If you believe that your thousands of PVCs occur only some days out of the week, or even with less frequency, but still within any given month, then you can be set up with an event recorder for 30 days.
That all said, be assured that PVCs will not damage your heart tissue.
If you want to know what will damage your heart, it’s white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and smoking, not to mention lack of exercise.
Dr. Marcovitz has 40+ years of experience in helping people improve their heart health.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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