Comparison of analysis techniques of diabetic cardiac action potential propagation

Diabetes is known to cause a variety of cardiovascular complications. One of the effects of the diabetic state is that the conduction velocity of the action potential front may be delayed in the myocardium. Current methods of measuring this effect have included optical mapping methods, from which the time required for activation of the ventricular surface can be measured. It has been proposed that the same information could be obtained from the ECG. This paper examines whether the current optical methods correlate with the proposed ECG-based method. To do this, an ECG measurement algorithm was written and results compared to those of the optical method. The data suggest that the new ECG method is correlated with the existing optical methods. However, the data also suggest that this correlation is highest when the measurement is made during sinus rhythm, rather than in response to a pacing stimulus.