A Longitudinal Study of the Prognostic Significance of Ventricular Ectopic Beats in the Elderly
- 1 January 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by S. Karger AG in Gerontology
- Vol. 29 (3) , 199-201
- https://doi.org/10.1159/000213114
Abstract
The prognostic significance of ventricular ectopic beats occurring in healthy, elderly individuals has only been assessed previously in short-term, longitudinal studies. 30 healthy, elderly people underwent 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring and approximately 2.5 years later subsequent morbidity and mortality was assessed. 1 individual could not be traced and 4 had died. Details of the cardiovascular health status of the remaining 25 were assessed by a questionnaire. There was no correlation between the numbers of ventricular ectopic beats and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity. Similarly, the results show no differences between ventricular ectopic beat activity and mortality 2.5 years later. On the basis of this study it is concluded that routine 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring does not provide clinically relevant predictive information in regard to cardiovascular morbidity or mortality.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Episodic Cardiac Arrhythmia and Femoral Neck FractureActa Medica Scandinavica, 1980