QT dynamics during treatment with sertindole.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pharmacology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Sertindole, an atypical antipsychotic, is linked to QTc prolongation and cardiac events.
• The impact of sertindole on dynamic QT interval measures, like the variability ratio (VR), remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of sertindole on QT dynamics, specifically the QT variability to heart rate variability ratio (VR).

Main Methods:

• An observational study assessed QTc and VR using 24-hour Holter monitoring before and after 3 weeks of sertindole treatment (16 mg).
• The VR was calculated as the standard deviation of QT intervals divided by the standard deviation of heart rates.
• Paired t-tests were used for outcome measure comparisons.

Main Results:

• Sertindole treatment significantly increased the VR from 0.192 to 0.223 (p=0.02).
• The QTcF interval also increased significantly from 388 ms to 403 ms (p=0.002).
• No significant changes were observed in heart rate or heart rate variability (SDNN).

Conclusions:

• Sertindole is associated with both QTc prolongation and an increased VR.
• These dynamic QT changes may contribute to the observed increased cardiovascular mortality with sertindole.