Connect
← Return to Mayo Take the Wheel
Discussion
Comment receiving replies
A Medronics Azure PM's battery life is more like 12 years. So 8.7 is a surprise. But then again there's not a lot of data. While in the hospital I was told that my sinus rhythm is normal but because I have a 2:1 block, I should expect my PM to pace me almost all the time. So when I was told that my both chambers (I have a dual chamber PM) are only pacing 50% of the time I was surprised. That means that 50% of my heart beats are done without the PM. My PM has three zones: resting or sedentary; ADL or activities for daily living; and exercising. My resting HR is set for 60. There is a ramp up to when the ADL plateau is reached. Then there is another ramp up to the point where the upper limit is reached. My UL is set for 145. Since your battery life is nearing it's end, I trust that you have a replacement procedure scheduled. I also assume that your next PM will be Boston Scientific.
Replies to "A Medronics Azure PM's battery life is more like 12 years. So 8.7 is a surprise...."
Connect
@ted3
I am definitely not a EP but on my 3rd ICD/Pacemaker and have had one for almost 20 years now.
Most of the time a pacing level is set if your heart is not beating from normal sinus rympthm at a certain rate or not at all in some cases. Thus if your heart is beating at an acceptable rate your pacemaker is not pacing your heart.
With me my pulse rate is down in the 30s because of medication. Thus my pacemaker paces me all the time to get it to 70 bpm which was set at that rate as to what I wanted and EP thought was best for me.
I think this may explain your 50% pacing. Mine pacing rate comes back at 92%. They want 98%. Now what keeps me from getting to 98%. It is PVCs. I have hundreds of them and they interfere with my pacing. I am on medication to lesson them.
So if your heart is being paced normally 50% of the time as a rate your PM does sees as okay then that could be your 50%. Asked your pace clinic or your EP about this.
Your PM has many functions for exercise and when not exercising. Again I could feel that happening when they turned mine on (after having almost 20 years) and did not like it at all.
I am not sure they told you that when a person gets a heart transplant their heart beats at 80 bpm all the time. Some I am told do marathons so like me my lower heart rate has not influence my ability to exercise either.