CHICAGO - A curable, recurrent rapid heart rhythm can produce symptoms similar to those of a "panic attack", causing physicians to misdiagnose the condition, according to an article in the March 10th issue of the American Medical Association's journal.
An AMA statement said the findings, to appear in the Archives of Internal Medicine, were based on studies of 107 patients referred for a special heart procedure known as electrophysiologic testing. Dr Timothy Lessmeier, and his colleagues in Washington state found these patients suffered from a non threatening disorder known as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). "Symptoms due to PSVT frequently fulfil the formal psychiatric criteria for panic disorder," the statement said. Twelve per cent of all patients who were misdiagnosed sought mental health treatment before learning they suffered from PSVT.