What are bigeminal ventricular premature beats, and what should be done about them?

Under normal circumstances, bigeminal ventricular premature beats (VPBs) are a type of arrhythmia characterized by extra heartbeats occurring outside the regular cardiac rhythm. This condition may be caused by excessive mental stress, excessive tea consumption, myocarditis, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, and other factors. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to seek timely medical evaluation and treatment. Specific analyses are as follows:

1. Excessive Mental Stress

When individuals experience excessive mental stress, the sympathetic nervous system becomes overactivated, leading to abnormally increased electrical activity in the heart. This can trigger bigeminal ventricular premature beats, restlessness, and an inability to relax. It is recommended to engage in relaxation techniques such as meditation, warm baths, or massage, which can help calm both mind and body and reduce feelings of tension.

2. Excessive Tea Consumption

Drinking too much tea results in high caffeine intake, which enters the heart via the bloodstream. Caffeine stimulates cardiac muscle cells, increasing the excitability and automaticity of the heart, potentially triggering bigeminal ventricular premature beats, insomnia, diarrhea, and other symptoms. It is advisable to gradually reduce the number of daily cups of tea to lower caffeine intake. Additionally, shortening tea steeping time or using milder tea varieties can also help reduce caffeine content.

3. Myocarditis

Myocarditis is usually caused by viral infections. It can lead to electrophysiological changes in myocardial cells, including abnormalities in ion channels and disturbances in ion concentrations. These alterations may destabilize the heart's electrical activity, resulting in symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and bigeminal ventricular premature beats. Treatment may include medications such as ferrous fumarate tablets, ammonium ferric citrate effervescent granules, or sustained-release ferrous sulfate tablets, as prescribed by a physician.

4. Coronary Atherosclerotic Heart Disease

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease is typically caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the coronary arteries. This condition may disrupt the autonomic nervous system—specifically, causing dysfunction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Such imbalance can increase cardiac excitability and automaticity, leading to symptoms including bigeminal ventricular premature beats, chest pain, and indigestion. Under medical guidance, medications such as enteric-coated aspirin tablets, atorvastatin calcium tablets, or metoprolol tartrate tablets may be used for treatment.

5. Acute Myocardial Infarction

Following an acute myocardial infarction, necrotic myocardial tissue is gradually replaced by fibrous tissue, forming areas of myocardial fibrosis. This fibrosis can interfere with normal electrical signal conduction in the heart, leading to bigeminal ventricular premature beats, compressive chest pain, and sensations of suffocation. Medications such as inositol nicotinate tablets, clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate tablets, or sustained-release metoprolol succinate tablets may be taken under medical supervision.

In daily life, it is recommended to consume more foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as kelp, apples, and yellow croaker fish, which are beneficial for maintaining heart health.