Atrial premature beat

Atrial premature beats (atrial premature contractions), abbreviated as atrial premature beats, originate from any site in the atria outside the sinoatrial node. Approximately 60% of normal adults exhibit atrial premature beats during 24-hour Holter monitoring. They can occur in patients with various organic heart diseases and are often precursors to rapid atrial arrhythmias. A cross-sectional study of populations over 50 years old abroad showed that the frequency of atrial premature beats is 0.8/hour in those aged 50-55 years, increasing to 2.6/hour in those over 70 years, with only 1% of patients showing no atrial premature beats during 24-hour Holter monitoring. Atrial premature beats may occur under certain physiological conditions or be caused by many cardiac or extracardiac diseases.