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 Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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What causes premature ventricular contractions?

Ventricular premature beats are the most common type of premature beats clinically, and they mostly occur in healthy people, also known as benign premature beats. They are caused by unstable autonomic nerve function leading to arrhythmia and do not require treatment with anti-arrhythmic drugs. Treatment through regulating nerves and lifestyle can lead to improvement. They can also occur in organic heart diseases, such as coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, and viral myocarditis. These organic heart diseases, due to long-term myocardial damage, exhibit ectopic rhythms and require treatment with effective anti-arrhythmic drugs alongside treatment of the primary disease (the use of such drugs should be under the guidance of a physician).

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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What is the difference between ventricular premature beats and atrial premature beats?

Ventricular premature beats and atrial premature beats have no different clinical symptoms; both present feelings of chest tightness and shortness of breath. They require an electrocardiogram (ECG) for diagnosis, where the differentiation between ventricular and atrial premature beats is made based on the differences in the waveform. Whether it is ventricular or atrial premature beats, if they are caused by discriminatory heart disease, it is necessary to treat the primary disease under the guidance of a doctor, while also correcting the premature beats. If the premature beats are caused by autonomic dysfunction, it is necessary to ensure rest, balance work and leisure, appropriately increase aerobic exercise, and enhance the heart's rhythmicity.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
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What are the dangers of ventricular premature beats?

The hazards of ventricular premature beats can be mainly divided into the following aspects: First, if a healthy person experiences ventricular premature beats, it can cause symptoms such as chest tightness, palpitations, fatigue, and dizziness. If these symptoms are quite noticeable, they often affect the patient's work and life, and at night, they can also impact sleep, leading to sleep deprivation; Second, if the patient has severe structural heart disease, frequent ventricular premature beats can induce angina attacks in patients with coronary artery disease, and can lead to worsening of heart failure in patients suffering from heart failure; Third, some malignant ventricular premature beats can also induce severe rapid malignant arrhythmias, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, leading to sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.

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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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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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The harms of ventricular premature beats in triplets

Ventricular premature beats in a trigeminal pattern are a commonly seen arrhythmia in everyday life. On an electrocardiogram, this arrhythmia typically presents as two normal heartbeats followed by one premature ventricular contraction. This pattern recurs repeatedly and is referred to as ventricular premature beats in a trigeminal pattern. When this occurs, many patients may feel palpitations or a pounding heart, or experience chest tightness. Generally, if there is no structural heart disease present in the patient, this type of premature beat is not hazardous and does not warrant concern.