Publication:

Electrocardiographic ventricular repolarization markers associated with obstructive coronary atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease

Background In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial ischemia is manifested by an increase in the instability of cardiomyocytes which is potentially characterized by QT interval and Tpeak - Tend interval duration. This highlights the relevance of this study, which was aimed at the evaluation of electrocardiographic ventricular repolarization parameters associated with obstructive coronary atherosclerosis in patients with CAD.

Methods The study included 63 patients with CAD and stable angina class I-III, referred for coronary angiography. 26 (41%) patients didn’t have hemodynamically significant CAD (stenosis 0.05). Patients of group 2 were predominantly male (p=0.04) and more often suffered from myocardial infarction (p=0.03) than patients of group 1. QT interval duration was greater in patients of group 2 compared with group 1 (p=0.049), as well as Tpeak - Tend interval duration (p=0.019).

Conclusions Patients with significant obstructive CAD had greater values of QT interval and Tpeak - Tend interval (p<0.05) in comparison with patients without coronary atherosclerosis. These parameters may be further used as potential ECG predictors of CAD and assist in risk stratification before coronary angiography.