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Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol 47, Issue 5 446-450, Copyright © 1985 by American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Effects of repeated ambulatory ECG monitoring and relaxation practice on premature ventricular contractions

T Weiss, MD Cheatle, SI Rubin, N Reichek and JP Brady

Ten patients with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were studied to assess the effects of adaptation and relaxation practice on arrhythmia frequency. They had 48 hr of ambulatory ECG monitoring on three occasions: 1) at entry into the study; 2) 4 wk later, after no intervention; and 3) after 4 wk of practicing the relaxation response. Results showed a significant decrease in PVC frequency from the first to the second monitoring, i.e., before relaxation practice. Of eight patients who completed the third monitoring, only three showed a decline in PVC frequency below baseline levels. The group as a whole showed an increase in PVC frequency with relaxation practice, although this was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that there is an important adaptational effect to repeated ambulatory ECG monitoring in PVC patients--namely, a decrease in arrhythmia frequency. Relaxation practice did not produce any clear effect for the overall group.




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Copyright © 1985 by the American Psychosomatic Society