Question: I am a 67-year-old man and it feels like my heart skips a beat every once in a while. It doesn’t really bother me, but is it something I should be concerned about?

 Dr. Hibberd’s answer:

Heart skips that are occasional and without symptoms are most often of no concern. But since you are in a high-risk group for heart disease, I’d recommend that you be evaluated by your personal physician.

It’s important that your physician determine for sure that these extra beats you feel are innocent and harmless, as opposed to the type of beat that may become dangerous later. A resting electrocardiogram, followed with an exercise stress test, should be sufficient to be sure you do not have an underlying problem.