I never was a big drinker (but in college I had a few), but I will have an occasional glass of wine or a beer.  Does this affect my PVC's? Found some of the latest research at:

Alcohol May Trigger Serious Palpitations in Heart Patients

Interesting!  The article states:

In a paper scheduled to be published August 1 in the American Journal of Cardiology, the UCSF researchers report that people with atrial fibrillation had almost a four and a half times greater chance of having an episode if they were consuming alcohol than if they were not.

This is something that I will need to watch.  I will need to wear my heart monitor next time I have a glass of wine!!

And the article stated:

"One of the remaining big unknowns is why or how this happens," said senior author Gregory Marcus, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the UCSF Division of Cardiology. "In a previous publication, we suggested that there was an effect on the electrical activity of the atrium that leads to these arrhythmias but we do need additional studies to prove that."

And electricity is the key.  I will need to do more research!!

And I found this at: CNN Heath - PVC's

Your heart is made up of four chambers — two upper chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). The rhythm of your heart is normally controlled by the sinoatrial node (SA node) — or sinus node — an area of specialized cells located in the right atrium. This natural pacemaker produces the electrical impulses that trigger the normal heartbeat. From the sinus node, electrical impulses travel across the atria to the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood out to your lungs and body.

Premature ventricular contractions are abnormal contractions that begin in the ventricles. These extra contractions usually beat sooner than the next expected regular heartbeat. And they often interrupt the normal order of pumping, which is atria first, then ventricles. As a result, the extra, out-of-sync beats are usually less effective in pumping blood throughout the body.

Why do extra beats occur?
The reasons aren't always clear. Certain triggers, heart diseases or changes in the body can make cells in the ventricles electrically unstable. Underlying heart disease or scarring may also cause electrical impulses to be misrouted. Premature ventricular contractions may be associated with:

• Chemical changes or imbalances in the body
• Certain medications, including common asthma medications
• Alcohol or illegal drugs
• Increased levels of adrenaline in the body that may be caused by caffeine, exercise or anxiety
• Injury to the heart muscle from coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, high blood pressure or infections (myocarditis)

Identifying a Heart Attack

One of the best reason to keep a blog is to force you to keep learning!  One of my favorite websites, Medhelp, had a great article about Heart Attacks!

MedHelp - What is a Hearty Attack?

This article discusses heart anatomy, heart attack symptoms, & what to do in case of a heart attack!  It should be a must read for all adults over age 50!  Have a look!

Many Milestones on My New Heart

milestone |ˈmīlˌstōn|noun1 a stone set up beside a road to mark the distance in miles to a particular place.2 an action or event marking a significant change or stage in development:the speech is being hailed as a milestone in race relations.
I am coming up on a year and a have on my new heart!  What has happened in that year and a half?
•  Started with"Quintuple By-pass Surgery"!!!•  January 1, 2011 - First Happy New Year with the NEW Heart!•  March 2011 - Started back to work & coaching!•  April 2011 - Played 1st 18 holes of golf after surgery!•  May 2011 - Hempfield Track & Field Team wins 2nd State Title in 3 years!!!!!!!•  June 2011 - Retired after 35 years in education!•  September 2011 - Received 1st Retirement Check!!•  November 11, 2011 - Oldest son Jared gets married to Erliza (an awesome gal!)•  December 13, 2011 - celebrated new birthday - New Heart is One Year Old!!!!•  January 1, 2012 - Second Happy New Year with the NEW Heart!•  March 2012 - Start another Track Season•  May 2012 - Girls Track Team wins 11th League Title in 12 Years!!!!
And more to come in 2012 - first grandchild in July & youngest son Josh gets married in October! (to Kristen, another awesome gal!)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

This weekend we remember our fallen veterans!  How about a brief history.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May.  Formerly known asDecoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. (Southern ladies organizations and southern schoolchildren had decorated Confederate graves in Richmond and other cities during the Civil War, but each region had its own date. Most dates were in May.) By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

Our freedom is not free!  In a country that more and more people want a free ride, or someone else to fix our problems, we need to remember the price that many have made for our freedom!