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Heart rate turbulence & pvc's?
I found this article on a website and wanted to share it. I don't fully understand it, so hopefully someone can explain what it means: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2011/nhlbi-15.htm
"Among the nearly 1,300 study participants heart rate turbulence, which reflects how well the heart reacts to occasional premature contractions, was an even stronger heart disease risk factor than elevated levels of C-reactive protein."
"Study participants considered at low risk of heart disease based on traditional risk factors were on average 8 to 9 times more likely to die of heart disease during the roughly 14-year follow-up period if they had abnormal heart rate turbulence values."
"These findings suggest that apparently healthy people might be at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and heart rate turbulence may help us identify them."
so what exactly is heart rate turbulence? what part does it play in arrhythmia's? what bearing does this new study have on patients with arrhythmia's but no heart disease?
comments, thoughts?
"Among the nearly 1,300 study participants heart rate turbulence, which reflects how well the heart reacts to occasional premature contractions, was an even stronger heart disease risk factor than elevated levels of C-reactive protein."
"Study participants considered at low risk of heart disease based on traditional risk factors were on average 8 to 9 times more likely to die of heart disease during the roughly 14-year follow-up period if they had abnormal heart rate turbulence values."
"These findings suggest that apparently healthy people might be at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and heart rate turbulence may help us identify them."
so what exactly is heart rate turbulence? what part does it play in arrhythmia's? what bearing does this new study have on patients with arrhythmia's but no heart disease?
comments, thoughts?
if your magnesium is normal levels is there a need to take supplements? that's one of the first things I had done - normal levels as well as everything else "normal" with the exception of sodium at 135 that came back up and my TSH/T3 has been low since 1998...I've been through so many blood tests it's a wonder I still have blood left (another 14 vials monday)
so back to the magnesium; if it's in normal ranges wouldn't it be dangerous to take supplements and it be too high or is it reabsorbed and wouldn't cause any harm?
so back to the magnesium; if it's in normal ranges wouldn't it be dangerous to take supplements and it be too high or is it reabsorbed and wouldn't cause any harm?
Yes there is a difference because mg citrate works in the citrate exchange portion of the krebs cycle and is not involved in muscle cell pathways to the extent malate exchange portion is. Mg malate is invovled with supplying energy for muscle cell function including heart muscle cell pathways which can misfire if not functioning properly causing heart arrhythmias such as PACs and PVCs. There are many studies to verify the clinical value of mg as related to arrhythmia especially after open heart surgery. I take 425 mg of magnesium malate per day but I take a formula that includes malic acid. This is extremely important because the malic acid is synthesized in the body through the citric acid (Krebs) cycle (in the mitocondria) and it may be at a deficit in the mitocondria of the cell. Malic acid provides the cells with energy and carbon skeletons for the formation of amino acids. Synthesis of proteins, fats and carbohydrates necessary for cellular integrity, normal activity and function are dependent on ATP availability which supplies the energy for their synthesis and actions and malic acid/malate pathway is the pathway magnesium needs to facilitate for proper muscle cell function. Magnesium deficiency causes swelling and disruption of cristae in the mitochondria, with a decreased number of mitochondria per cell so mg and malic acid work together to provide proper functioning of muscle cells. Additionally, only tissue malate is depleted following exhaustive physical activity, even though other key metabolites from the citric acid cycle necessary for ATP production remain unchanged further demonstrating the use of malate in the muscle cell pathways including the heart muscle tissues. I use Source Naturals formula because it includes malic acid with magnesium but if you prefer you could take any form of magnesium and eat a granny smith or green apple and hope for the best. You would probably have to eat ten green apples though to get enough malic acid to make up for the loss. Let me know how you do. I believe that the reason people are confused with the different types of magnesium that are availble is because you have to understand microbiological cellular respiration/function to see how all this works. I have had 2 years just to understand this much. Thanks
This commentary is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure any disease or condition. Please check with your doctor for all of your personal care needs.
This commentary is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure any disease or condition. Please check with your doctor for all of your personal care needs.
" I think they were trying to see the long term effects it has on the heart from arrhythmia's.. "
No, that's not the main point. What they are getting at is the effect a slightly sloppy ANS might have on the ability of the heart to withstand or recover from an arrhythmia or arrhythmia-provoking situation. The author is specific about this:
"A heart rate turbulence measurement is insightful because it offers a sign of how well the autonomic, or subconscious, nervous system is functioning," said study author Phyllis K. Stein, Ph.D., a research associate professor of medicine and director of the Heart Rate Variability Laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "If someone's heart doesn't react well to these uncoordinated beats that might mean it's not good at reacting to other issues like sudden stress or severe arrhythmias."
No, that's not the main point. What they are getting at is the effect a slightly sloppy ANS might have on the ability of the heart to withstand or recover from an arrhythmia or arrhythmia-provoking situation. The author is specific about this:
"A heart rate turbulence measurement is insightful because it offers a sign of how well the autonomic, or subconscious, nervous system is functioning," said study author Phyllis K. Stein, Ph.D., a research associate professor of medicine and director of the Heart Rate Variability Laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "If someone's heart doesn't react well to these uncoordinated beats that might mean it's not good at reacting to other issues like sudden stress or severe arrhythmias."
going to have to read it again,heck to understand I may have to read it 5 more times. I think they were trying to see the long term effects it has on the heart from arrhythmia's..
what's it mean to all of the low risk individuals later in life as we age; I read another article last year about the effects of aging and arrhythmia's - I did find early articles about this one back in 1988. If I understand right, the study was 14 years long average age was 65 so that would put them around age 50 when they started since and stopped in May 2011, I'm still looking for the entire study
there were 5800 or so when the study first came out; I can't find where it was that showed why the rest didn't make it to year 14, but it may have some implications about pvc's
I'm not sure in our lifetime if pvc's will ever be taken seriously enough to have a large study done :( we know how prevalent hbp is so maybe this does have some bearing.
I know research is paid by X to prove ABC, then another place with try to refute it, just found it very interesting
what's it mean to all of the low risk individuals later in life as we age; I read another article last year about the effects of aging and arrhythmia's - I did find early articles about this one back in 1988. If I understand right, the study was 14 years long average age was 65 so that would put them around age 50 when they started since and stopped in May 2011, I'm still looking for the entire study
there were 5800 or so when the study first came out; I can't find where it was that showed why the rest didn't make it to year 14, but it may have some implications about pvc's
I'm not sure in our lifetime if pvc's will ever be taken seriously enough to have a large study done :( we know how prevalent hbp is so maybe this does have some bearing.
I know research is paid by X to prove ABC, then another place with try to refute it, just found it very interesting
It's an interesting article with stuff I haven't read before. They say:
"Heart rate turbulence refers to how smoothly the heart rate returns to normal after a premature ventricular contraction..." and go on to explain how that the medulla senses the inefficiency of the pvc and instantly speeds up the heart to compensate, but this of course tends to raise BP. The medulla, sensing that rise in pressure, immediately responds by trying to lower the heart rate. Ideally, the net result is a heart that basically settles down quickly after a weird heartbeat.
Apparently there are 'normal' values for this kind of nervous system response to irregular beats, and patients whose adjustment speeds are not regular or within these 'normal' parameters are more likely to die of 'heart disease' (which is pretty general). The risk seems to be greater if you already have clinical heart disease than if you have subclinical disease or none.
The authors conclude that the study measures how well your autonomic nervous system gets your heart back to normal when it has an electrical glitch, and they suspect that the inability to adjust quickly and smoothly could lead to major problems in stress situations or if you suddenly had a severe arrhythmia (which they do not define).
It is a very thoughtful paper that may have implications for those of us here with PVCs and twitchy nervous systems, but it's important to remember that only about 1300 people were involved; that the results of any such study need to be confirmed by other studies; and that a very large study of thousands of people also needs to be done.
"Heart rate turbulence refers to how smoothly the heart rate returns to normal after a premature ventricular contraction..." and go on to explain how that the medulla senses the inefficiency of the pvc and instantly speeds up the heart to compensate, but this of course tends to raise BP. The medulla, sensing that rise in pressure, immediately responds by trying to lower the heart rate. Ideally, the net result is a heart that basically settles down quickly after a weird heartbeat.
Apparently there are 'normal' values for this kind of nervous system response to irregular beats, and patients whose adjustment speeds are not regular or within these 'normal' parameters are more likely to die of 'heart disease' (which is pretty general). The risk seems to be greater if you already have clinical heart disease than if you have subclinical disease or none.
The authors conclude that the study measures how well your autonomic nervous system gets your heart back to normal when it has an electrical glitch, and they suspect that the inability to adjust quickly and smoothly could lead to major problems in stress situations or if you suddenly had a severe arrhythmia (which they do not define).
It is a very thoughtful paper that may have implications for those of us here with PVCs and twitchy nervous systems, but it's important to remember that only about 1300 people were involved; that the results of any such study need to be confirmed by other studies; and that a very large study of thousands of people also needs to be done.
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