Does Premature Ventricular Contractions Affect Exercise Capacity in Teenagers with Normal Hearts?

AbstractPremature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are common in teenagers even in the absence of structural heart disease or channelopathy. The suppression of PVCs with exercise is a favorable prognostic indicator. There is a paucity of data regarding the relationship between exercise capacity and PVC burden in this population.  Our objective was to evaluate the association between various exercise stress parameters and PVC burden ascertained with a 24 h Holter in children without structural heart disease and/or channelopathy. In this retrospective study, 447 patient’s charts with a diagnosis of PVC were reviewed at a single tertiary center. The study cohort consisted of ninety one patients with no structural heart disease or channelopathy who underwent an echocardiogram, maximal stress test, and 24 h Holter monitor. The cohort was divided into two groups based on PVC burden by 24-h Holter monitoring: <  10% and ≥ 10%. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2 in ml/kg/min), an indicator of maximal aerobic capacity, was collected. Other exercise parameters included a) percentage of predicted VO2 (%VO2) based on age, weight, height, and gender b) percent oxygen pulse, c) Anaerobic threshold (AT), and d) Metabolic equivalents. Demographic and exercise stress test-derived parameters were compared between the two groups using student t test and a p value  <  0.05 was considered significant. In our cohort of 91 patients, the mean (SD) age at exercise was 14.5 (3.2) years wi...
Source: Mammalian Genome - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research