What is the prevalence of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) palpitations in young adults?

From the Guidelines

The prevalence of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) palpitations in young adults is approximately 2.29 per 1000 persons, with a higher incidence in women than men.

Key Points

• The incidence of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is estimated to be 36 per 100 000 persons per year 1.
• Women have twice the risk of men of developing PSVT, and individuals >65 years of age have >5 times the risk of younger persons of developing PSVT 1.
• The prevalence of SVT increases with age, with a five-fold greater risk in individuals aged >65 years compared to younger people 1.
• Common symptoms of SVT include palpitations, chest discomfort, fatigue, light-headedness, shortness of breath, anxiety, dizziness, dyspnoea, and syncope 1.
• The mean age of symptom onset for AVNRT is 32±18 years, while for AVRT it is 23±14 years 1.
• SVT has a significant impact on quality of life, with symptoms varying according to frequency, duration, and whether they occur at rest or with exercise 1.
• The diagnosis of SVT is often made in the emergency department, but symptoms suggestive of SVT are often elicited before initial electrocardiogram/electrocardiographic (ECG) documentation 1.

From the Research

Prevalence of Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) Palpitations in Young Adults

• The prevalence of symptomatic paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) in adults is estimated to be 140 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval, 100-179) 2.
• A study found that the incidence of PSVT was 35/100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval, 23 to 47/100,000) in the general population 3.
• The prevalence of PSVT is higher in individuals who are older, women, white or black, or who have valvular heart disease, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, lung disease, or prior bleeding 2.
• In the general population, there are two distinct subsets of patients with PSVT: those with other cardiovascular disease and those with lone PSVT 3.
• A study estimated that approximately 89,000 new cases of PSVT occur per year and 570,000 persons have PSVT in the United States 3.

Age-Specific Prevalence

• The prevalence of SVT in children is estimated to be roughly 1 in 500 4.
• A study found that patients with initial SVT episodes during infancy have a longer period without SVT attacks and a lower chance of recurrences 5.
• The chance of remaining SVT-free during follow-up was much lower in patients with initial SVT after 5 years of age than in patients with initial attacks before the age of 1 and between the age of 1 and 5 5.

Clinical Characteristics

• SVT often presents with recurrent episodes of tachycardia, which often increase in frequency and severity with time 6.
• Sudden-onset, rapid, regular palpitations characterize SVT, and in most patients, a diagnosis can be made with a high degree of certainty from patient history alone 6.
• Treatment of SVT may not be necessary when the episodes are infrequent and self-terminating, and produce minimal symptoms 6.