Are PVCs harmful?

1 Introduction. A premature ventricular complex (PVC) is an early depolarization of ventricular myocardium. PVCs are common findings on electrocardiography (ECG) in the general population and are associated with structural heart disease and increased risk of sudden cardiac death .

Generally, PVCs cause dangerous symptoms only if the person has another heart problem . For example, they might happen in someone whose ventricle already squeezes poorly. So if you have heart failure, you may notice more symptoms, like shortness of breath.

PVCs become more of a concern if they happen frequently. “If more than 10% to 15% of a person’s heartbeats in 24 hours are PVCs, that’s excessive ,” Bentz said. The more PVCs occur, the more they can potentially cause a condition called cardiomyopathy (a weakened heart muscle).

Symptoms of PVCs include a fluttering or flip-flop feeling in the chest, pounding or jumping heart rate, skipped beats and palpitations, or an increased awareness of your heartbeat .