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Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

The most effective way to prevent tachycardias is to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. If you already have heart disease, monitor it and follow your treatment plan to lower your tachycardia risk.

Prevent heart disease
Treat or eliminate risk factors that may lead to heart disease. Take the following steps:

  • Exercise and eat a healthy diet. Live a heart-healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and eating a healthy, low-fat diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
  • Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease.
  • Keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control. Make lifestyle changes and take medications as prescribed to correct high blood pressure (hypertension) or high cholesterol.
  • Stop smoking. If you smoke and can't quit on your own, talk to your doctor about strategies or programs to help you break a smoking habit.
  • Drink in moderation. If you consume alcohol, drink in moderation. For some conditions it's recommended that you completely avoid alcohol. Ask your doctor for advice specific to your condition. If you can't control your alcohol consumption, talk to your doctor about a program to quit drinking and manage other behaviors related to alcohol abuse.
  • Don't use recreational drugs. Don't use stimulants, such as cocaine. Talk to your doctor about an appropriate program for you if you need help ending recreational drug use.
  • Limit caffeine intake. If you drink caffeinated beverages, do so in moderation.
  • Control stress. Avoid unnecessary stress and learn coping techniques to handle normal stress in a healthy way.
  • Go to scheduled checkups. Have regular physical exams and report any signs or symptoms to your doctor.

Monitor and treat existing heart disease
If you already have heart disease, there are steps you can take to lower your risk of developing a tachycardia or other arrhythmia:

  • Follow the plan. Be sure you understand your treatment plan, and take all medications as prescribed.
  • Report changes immediately. If your symptoms change, get worse or you develop new symptoms, tell your doctor immediately.
Coping and support
References
  1. Mitchell LB. Arrhythmias and conduction disorders: Introduction. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075a.html. Accessed April 19, 2009.
  2. Olgin JE, et al. Specific arrhythmias: Diagnosis and treatment. In: Libby P, et al., eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..X5001-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&uniq=134565520#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50038-8%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4106-1. Accessed April 19, 2009.
  3. Ventricular tachycardia. American Heart Association. http://americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=3062877. Accessed April 22, 2009.
  4. Atrial or supraventricular tachycardia. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3062868. Accessed April 18, 2009.
  5. Mitchell LB. Atrial fibrillation (AF). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075e.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  6. Mitchell LB. Ventricular tachycardia (VT). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075k.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  7. Mitchell LB. Reentrant supraventricular tachycardias (SVT, PSVT). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075g.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  8. Mitchell LB. Ventricular fibrillation. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075m.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  9. Hebbar AK, et al. Management of common arrhythmias: Part I. Supraventricular arrhythmias. American Family Physician. 2002;65:2479.
  10. Hebbar AK, et al. Management of common arrhythmias: Part II. Ventricular arrhythmias and arrhythmias in special populations. American Family Physician. 2002;65:2491.
  11. Mitchell LB. Atrial flutter. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075f.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  12. What are Holter, event and transtelephonic monitors? American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005149. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
  13. Calkins H. Supraventricular tachycardia: AV nodal reentry and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3050545. Accessed April 19, 2009.
  14. Prystowsky EN, et al. Approach to the patient with cardiac arrhythmias: Introduction. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3048673. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  15. Delacretaz E. Supraventricular tachycardia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006;354:1039.
  16. Prystowsky EN, et al. Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and atrial tachycardia: Introduction. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3048772. Accessed April 20, 2009.
  17. Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 29, 2009.

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May 28, 2009

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