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Published on: June 21, 2016
P-wave morphologic characteristics predict cardiovascular events in a community-dwelling population
Tomoyuki Kabutoya1, Shizukiyo Ishikawa, Joji Ishikawa
1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan. kabu@jichi.ac.jp
A notched P wave in electrocardiograms may predict long-term cardiovascular events, especially in individuals without left ventricular hypertrophy. This finding highlights P-wave morphology as a valuable tool for risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrocardiography
- Predictive Medicine
Background:
- Limited research exists on the link between P-wave characteristics and long-term cardiovascular outcomes.
- Assessing P-wave morphology may offer new insights into cardiovascular risk stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between P-wave characteristics and the incidence of major cardiovascular events.
- To determine if specific P-wave morphologies predict cardiovascular events in a community-dwelling population.
Main Methods:
- A nested case-control study within the Jichi Medical School cohort (12,490 subjects) with a 10.7-year follow-up.
- Compared P-wave characteristics of 526 patients with cardiovascular events to 1578 matched controls.
- Classified P-wave morphology (normal, deflected, notched) and defined a broad P wave (>120 ms duration).
Main Results:
- A notched P wave was more prevalent in the case group (10.1%) than the control group (6.0%), P=0.001.
- A notched P wave significantly predicted cardiovascular events (OR=1.59; 95% CI=1.08-2.33) after covariate adjustment.
- In the absence of left ventricular hypertrophy, a notched P wave was associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events.
Conclusions:
- P-wave morphology is an effective predictor of cardiovascular events.
- Notched P waves may serve as a valuable biomarker for cardiovascular risk, particularly in specific patient subgroups.
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