Abstract
Objectives: Palpitations (increased or abnormal awareness of the heart beats), often caused by cardiac arrhythmia, anxiety, and non cardiac causes; also caused by non arrhythmic cardiac problems such as mitral valve prolapse (MVP), other valvuler disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and congenital heart diseases (CHD). Some patients had no cause for palpitations.
We aim to study the cardiac problems revealed by echocardiography in patients with palpitations, and the differences between males and females.
Patients and methods: A total of 267 patients who seeked medical advice specifically for palpitations, and another 173 controls, had echocardiography evaluation, results were classified into three groups, MVP, myocardial disease, and valvular and CHD. Statistical analysis using chi- square test was applied.
Results: The patients consisted of 221 (83%) females, and 46 (36%) males, aged between 14- 77 years, mean age 38 years. MVP was diagnosed in 76 (28%) patients (P value 0.019) and it was more significant in females (P value 0.046). Other valvular diseases and CHD were also considerable causes of palpitations in females (P value 0.043). Myocardial diseases were diagnosed in 62 (23%) patients, including 15 (33%) males.
Conclusion: Echocardiography was normal, or minimally abnormal as in MVP in most of patients 189 (71%). MVP and other valvuler diseases and CHD were significant causes of palpitation in females, while myocardial diseases were more frequent in males. These results are consistent with previous studies.
Keywords: Palpitation, echocardiography, mitral valve prolapse, myocardial, valvular and congenital heart diseases.
