<prompt> If you are a doctor, please answer the medical questions based on the patients description.My wife is 59. She has episodes of pounding heart beat with very rapid pulse rate. Her younger brother also has these symptoms-he is 50. This condition has been present since pre adolescence. Today during one of these events her blood pressure was 15684 with a 94 pulse rate.  <response>: Hello and welcome to Chat Doctor, Pounding heart with rapid pulse suggests cardiovascular pathology and necessitates a cardiovascular examination. A concomitant high blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Presence of similar symptoms in another family member raises a suspicion of familial cardiovascular disease. On the basis of history a cardiomyopathy is suspected. Cardiomyopathy is disease of cardiac muscle. Thus, I suggest you to consult a cardiologist for investigations and further management. Thanks and take care Chat Doctor. 