Ongoing Concerns

After episodes of supraventricular tachycardia begin, they generally recur. These arrhythmias frequently stop spontaneously or with simple maneuvers, but you may have to take medicines daily if the arrhythmias keep happening. Medicine treatment typically includes beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or digoxin. In people with frequent episodes, treatment with an antiarrhythmic medicine can decrease recurrences, and catheter ablation can eliminate the arrhythmia altogether.

When supraventricular tachycardia occurs in someone who has significant coronary artery disease, the heart may not receive enough blood to keep up with the demands of the increased heart rate. If this occurs, the heart may not get enough oxygen, potentially causing chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.

Mild supraventricular tachycardia, with short episodes that don't happen often, doesn't typically weaken the heart or lead to heart failure. But some people have a higher risk of getting heart failure, such as those who have a heart valve disease. If tachycardia is left untreated, repeated and long episodes of tachycardia can lead to heart failure (known as a tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy). But this heart failure might be stopped, or reversed, if the supraventricular tachycardia is stopped with treatment.