Dependence of the vulnerability index on the heart cycle length

Index of vulnerability is a parameter based on ventricular gradient evaluating the risk of arrhythmia development. The index is derived from isointegral maps of the QT interval. Individual characteristics of isointegral maps are influenced by different factors, which contribute to the relatively high variability among measured parameters of maps in measured subjects. While several electrocardiographic indexes have been introduced, there are only few studies of their dependence on heart rate. In this study we set out to establish the dependence of vulnerability index on the RR interval or heart rate in healthy population. A positive linear correlation between RR intervals and mean and minimum values of vulnerability indexes was found.