Interpreting Your Holter Monitor Results
Your Holter monitor results show a normal heart rhythm with some normal variations that are not concerning for your overall heart health. 1
Understanding Your Results
- Your predominant rhythm is sinus rhythm, which means your heart's natural pacemaker (sinus node) is functioning properly and controlling your heart rhythm normally. 1
- Your average heart rate of 79 bpm falls within the normal range of 50-90 bpm. 2
- The minimum heart rate of 38 bpm (bradycardia) and maximum heart rate of 183 bpm (tachycardia) represent normal variations that can occur during a 24-hour period, particularly during sleep (low rates) and activity (high rates). 1
- The slight P wave morphology changes noted are typically normal variations that occur with changes in heart rate and body position. 3
- The rare isolated SVEs (supraventricular extrasystoles) and VEs (ventricular extrasystoles) at less than 1% are considered normal and not clinically significant. 4, 5
What These Results Mean For Your Heart Health
- Sinus rhythm with an average heart rate of 79 bpm indicates your heart's electrical system is functioning normally. 1
- The absence of SVE couplets/triplets and VE couplets/triplets is reassuring, as these would indicate more complex arrhythmias. 1, 5
- Rare isolated premature beats (less than 1%) are considered a normal variant and are seen in approximately 5% of the general population without heart disease. 4
Normal Variations in Heart Rate
- During a 24-hour period, it's normal for your heart rate to vary significantly: 1
- Lower rates typically occur during sleep due to increased vagal tone (parasympathetic nervous system activity)
- Higher rates occur during physical activity, emotional stress, or other situations requiring increased cardiac output
When to Be Concerned
- If you were experiencing symptoms like dizziness, fainting, chest pain, or shortness of breath during the monitoring period, additional evaluation might be warranted despite these overall normal results. 1, 6
- If your heart rate consistently drops below 50 bpm while awake and you're experiencing symptoms, or consistently exceeds 90 bpm at rest without an obvious cause, further evaluation may be needed. 2, 6
Summary of Key Findings
- Normal sinus rhythm: Your heart's natural pacemaker is working properly 1
- Normal average heart rate: 79 bpm falls within the expected range 2
- Normal variations in rate: Both the minimum and maximum rates represent expected physiological responses 1
- Rare isolated premature beats: Less than 1% is considered normal and not concerning 4, 5
Based on these results, no specific treatment or further cardiac evaluation is needed unless you're experiencing concerning symptoms. 1