Inappropriate sinus tachycardiaInappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) is a type of cardiac arrhythmia. Inappropriate sinus tachycardia is caused by electrical signals in the body speeding up the heart, rather than a physical deformity of the heart. This may be caused by a disturbance and/or failure of the autonomic nervous system. Research into the mechanism and etiology (cause) of inappropriate sinus tachycardia is ongoing. While sinus tachycardia is very common and is the most common type of tachycardia, it is rare to be diagnosed with Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia as an independent symptom that is not part of a larger condition.