title: Risk factors for premature ventricular contractions in young and healthy adults.
abstract: Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it was aimed to assess risk factors for the frequency of PVCs in young and healthy adults.
  
  
  
  Our population-based study included 2048 healthy adults from the general population aged 25-41 years. PVC frequency was determined by 24-hour Holter ECG. We performed multivariable regression analysis using stepwise backward selection to identify factors independently associated with PVC frequency.
  
  
  
  Median age was 37 years, 953 (46.5%) were male. At least one PVC during the 24-hour monitoring period was observed in 69% of participants. Median number of detected PVCs was 2, the 95th percentile was 193. In multivariable regression analyses, we found 17 significant risk factors for PVC frequency. Low educational status (risk ratio (RR) 3.33; 95% CI 1.98 to 5.60), body height>median (1.58, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.24) and increasing levels of waist:hip ratio (2.15, 95% CI 1.77 to 2.61), N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (1.52, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.76) and Sokolow-Lyon Index (1.38, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.66) (all p≤0.01) were associated with a higher PVC frequency. Physical activity (RR fourth vs first quartile 0.51, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.76) and increasing levels of haemoglobin (0.58, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.70) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (0.72, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.82) (all p<0.001) were related to a lower PVC frequency.
  
  
  
  PVC occurrence is common even in healthy low-risk individuals, and its frequency is associated with several covariates mainly related to cardiovascular risk factors, markers of cardiac structure and function and socioeconomic status.
authors: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Mirco
authors: M
authors: von Rotz
authors: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Aeschbacher
authors: Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Division of Cardiology, Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Bossard
authors: Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Schoen
authors: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Steffen
authors: S
authors: Blum
authors: Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Susanna
authors: S
authors: Schneider
authors: Singulex, Alameda, California, USA.
authors: Joel
authors: J
authors: Estis
authors: Singulex, Alameda, California, USA.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Todd
authors: Labormedizinisches Zentrum Dr Risch, Schaan, Liechtenstein.|Division of Laboratory Medicine, Kantonsspital Graubünden, Chur, Switzerland.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Risch
authors: Labormedizinisches Zentrum Dr Risch, Schaan, Liechtenstein.|Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.|Private University, Triesen, Liechtenstein.
authors: Lorenz
authors: L
authors: Risch
authors: Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Cardiology Division, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Conen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D004522:Educational Status; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008015:Liechtenstein / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D018879:Ventricular Premature Complexes / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers