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Prolonged QT interval and risk of sudden death in South-East Asian men
R G Munger1, R J Prineas, R S Crow
1Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.
Abstract:
Sudden death in sleep occurs in substantial numbers among young men in South-East Asia. The frequencies of electrocardiographic abnormalities were measured in groups with varying risks of such sudden death. The mean heart-rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) was significantly (p less than 0.05) greater among 123 Laotian refugees in Thailand at high risk (405 [95% confidence interval 397-413] ms) than in 77 Laotian refugees in the United States at lower risk (364 [359-369] ms) and 199 non-Asian US residents at negligible risk (358 [354-362] ms). Among refugees in Thailand, prolonged QTc interval was associated with poor thiamine status and a history of seizure-like episodes in sleep. Thiamine deficiency may be a cause of prolonged QT interval and sudden death in this region.
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