Can premature ventricular contractions cause a heart attack?

Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
Updated on September 22, 2024
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Ventricular premature beats will not cause myocardial infarction as they arise from different mechanisms and lead to different outcomes. Ventricular premature beats occur due to changes in the ventricular conduction system, causing irregular heartbeats. Myocardial infarction is caused by the narrowing of coronary arteries, the formation of plaques, and thromboses, leading to blockage that deprives the heart of oxygen, resulting in ischemia and necrosis, known as myocardial infarction. Myocardial infarction is a serious condition that requires immediate medical intervention to save the patient's life. Ventricular premature beats can occur due to pathological reasons or can be seen in healthy individuals, and can be managed with medications that regulate the heart rate to achieve the desired therapeutic outcome.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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Are ventricular premature beats serious?

Ventricular premature beats are a very common condition in daily life, so many patients often ask their doctors this question: Are my ventricular premature beats severe? This needs to be analyzed based on the specific issue and circumstances. First, if there is no structural heart disease, these premature beats are generally known as functional ventricular premature beats, which are usually not serious and do not endanger life safety. Second, if there is concomitant structural heart disease, such as coronary heart disease or cardiomyopathy, then these ventricular premature beats are generally considered risky, and it is necessary to take medication or undergo surgery under the guidance of a doctor.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Is ventricular premature beat a heart disease?

Ventricular premature beats can occur in the normal population, caused by autonomic nervous dysfunction. These premature beats are not considered heart disease. However, ventricular premature beats caused by certain heart diseases are considered heart disease. Common heart diseases include congenital heart disease, viral myocarditis, rheumatic heart disease, coronary artery disease, and pulmonary heart disease. These diseases lead to myocardial damage and ischemia, causing abnormal conduction rhythms, resulting in premature beats. Treatment should be provided based on different causes, and the premature beats should be corrected simultaneously.

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Cardiology
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Principles of treatment for ventricular premature beats

The treatment of ventricular premature beats mainly includes the following aspects: First, palliative treatment. Palliative treatment refers to cases where the patient's ventricular premature beats do not occur frequently, and there are no clinical symptoms, and no organic heart disease is found through related cardiac echocardiography. For this type of ventricular premature beats, treatment is not necessary, and regular observation can be conducted, which we call palliative treatment. Second, medication treatment. When ventricular premature beats occur frequently, and the patient has obvious clinical symptoms, such as palpitations and chest tightness, treatment can be carried out under the guidance of a doctor with standardized medication. Third, surgical treatment. When premature beats occur frequently and severely affect the patient's quality of life, radiofrequency ablation treatment can be conducted, and this treatment potentially cures ventricular premature beats.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
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Is ventricular premature beat intercalary serious?

Whether ventricular premature beats are serious depends on the cause of the ventricular premature beats. From a medical perspective, physiological ventricular premature beats are generally not serious and do not greatly affect health or endanger life. Physiological ventricular premature beats are often related to emotional stress, staying up late, and poor lifestyle habits such as drinking strong tea or coffee. Pathological ventricular premature beats, on the other hand, are often more serious, such as those caused by cardiomyopathy. These ventricular premature beats can potentially trigger ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, seriously endangering the patient's life. Pathological ventricular premature beats require active interventional treatment to prevent the premature beats from worsening and causing unexpected events.

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Can you exercise with premature ventricular contractions?

Can individuals with ventricular premature beats exercise? It is necessary to undergo an electrocardiogram and determine the cause of the ventricular premature beats. Patients with frequent ventricular premature beats due to coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, or viral myocarditis, especially those with heart failure, should not participate in exercise and need prolonged rest. Increased physical activity could exacerbate the heart's burden and worsen premature beats. For ventricular premature beats caused by physiological reasons, it is advised to engage in more aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercise can enhance the heart's contractility and conductivity, which has a beneficial effect on improving this type of premature beat.