ST changes

[heartfulloflove]

What is the difference between an ST elevation and an ST depression, and would it be normal for someone in the general (non-heart patient) population to see a very brief (few seconds) episode of either of these on 24 hour monitoring?

Thanks :)

[JAMESFETT]

That's an important question to review with your cardiologist.

JDF

[heartfulloflove]

The Holter was read as normal, though one of the doctors did inquire as to what I was doing at the time one of those happened. I had just finished exercising about 30 minutes prior to a five second episode. I didn't know if lead inteference might have been a factor. No one seemed overly concerned so it was just a curiosity issue. From my understanding, ST changes are typically associated with ischemia - which to my knowledge I don't have according to all other testing.

[heartfulloflove]

Just found a good site on S-T changes. Apparently a non-ischemic cause of S-T depression is left ventricular strain. That didn't give me a warm and fuzzy. I'm not incredibly concerned about this though, because I'm assuming if it was clinically significant it would have been more...constant? rather than a simple blip. I'd also assume that clinically significant S-T changes would have been most obvious during the vigorous exercise I was doing prior to that (45 minutes of rollerblading with my HR between 155-180) ...but I'm only guessing.

[heartfulloflove]

Just found out a non-ischemic cause of S-T depression is left ventricular strain. That didn't give me a warm and fuzzy, but I'm not incredibly concerned about this since (a) I'm assuming if it was clinically significant it would have been more...constant? rather than a simple blip and (b) aside from questioning what I was doing at the time, my cardiologist interpreted the Holter as within normal.

[LauraNP]

You can have non specific ST changes that mean nothing. ST changes that go back to normal in a few seconds are probably normal. ST elevation happens in an acute MI and depression in an old MI but there are other causes too.

[heartfulloflove]

Thanks Laura :)

One happened for five hours. They said the pattern indicated I was probably sleeping on a lead. I'm a stomach sleeper with three pillows, can't lay on my back. That one didn't worry me.

As for the other, it was short and happened about 30 minutes after I exercised. I was probably carrying one of the kids. I've done some reading and I was astonished at the amount of things that can cause ST changes, and apparently in young women it isn't incredibly uncommon for some benign blips. I'm not going to worry about it if they didn't.

[LauraNP]

Yes, definitely don't worry about it.