AboutDavid Richardson Expertise Adult heart function and disease. Not very good about children lesss than 12. Hypertension is o.k. Heart rhythm a special interest.
Experience Certified in cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Was chairman of division of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia. Am now mostly retired.
Organizations Fellow of American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology and member of American Physiological Society..
Publications Circulation, American Heart Journal, Hypertension.
Education/Credentials M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Residency training at Yale Uhniversity School of Medicine and Medical College of Virginia.
Awards and Honors Gold Heartt Award from American Heart Association in 1995.
Question I preface this by noting that I had a small heart attack in September but fortunately escaped with relatively little damage and have been fine since, able to exercise moderately, no shortness of breath. And I am on a very low dose of a beta blocker. My question is this though -- I have noticed, and I probably should not be paying attention, that my heart rate varies quite a bit. Frequently it is in the 60s or even the 50s, but at other times, especially in the evening, it can stay as high as the 90s for a sustained stretch. And occasionally I will take up in the night with it going even higher than that. No other symptoms with the faster pulse, except a vague sense sometimes of being keyed up. In fact, more often than not I could probably tell you without feeling it whether my pulse was higher or lower. Any concern here?
Answer Dear Peter.
The only concern is that anxiety and anger make the heart beat faster and are probably not good for a heart with coronary blockage because the increased heart rate requires more blood supply to the heart muscle. This is a minor concern. See if you lessen the anxiety or anger, or increase the dose of beta blocker.
Please write back if this note doesn't answer all your questions.
