Ventricular Ectopy and Adverse Outcomes

Although the results of past studies of ventricular ectopy during exercise testing have varied, some suggest that arrhythmias are associated with adverse outcomes. The extent to which the frequency or the timing of ectopy might influence prognosis, however, is not well characterized.

Investigators studied 1847 patients without heart failure or atrial fibrillation (<5% women) who were referred for exercise testing in a single Veterans Affairs health system. Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) occurring during exercise and recovery were classified by timing (during exercise, recovery, or both) and frequency. Nearly half (46.0%) of participants had PVCs during exercise, and 33.6% had PVCs during recovery, although only a small proportion of …