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Published on: May 3, 2018
Relationship between QT Interval Length and Arterial Stiffness in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): A
Ricardo Rivera-López1, Juan Jiménez-Jáimez1, José Mario Sabio2
1Cardiology Clinical Management Unit, Granada University Hospitals; Granada Institute of Biohealth Research.Granada. Spain.
Insights
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have prolonged QT intervals, which correlate with subclinical atherosclerosis. This finding may aid cardiovascular risk stratification in SLE management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a longer QT interval compared to the general population.
- The clinical significance of prolonged QT intervals in SLE remains unclear.
- Subclinical atherosclerosis is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between QT interval and subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE patients.
- To assess if QT interval can serve as a marker for subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 93 SLE patients and 109 healthy controls.
- Electrocardiograms were used to measure the corrected QT interval (QTc) via Bazett's formula.
- Carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (PWV) was employed to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis.
Main Results:
- SLE patients exhibited a significantly longer QTc interval (415 ± 21.4 ms) than controls (407 ± 19.1 ms).
- A positive correlation was found between QTc interval and PWV in SLE patients (r = 0.235; p = 0.02).
- This association remained significant after adjusting for hypertension and age in multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged QTc interval in SLE patients is linked to subclinical atherosclerosis.
- QTc interval measurement may assist in cardiovascular risk stratification for SLE patients.
- Identifying patients who could benefit from aggressive cardiovascular prevention strategies.
Introduction And Objectives:
The QT interval on the electrocardiogram has been shown to be longer in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to that of the general population. The clinical significance of this finding is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between QT interval and subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity.
Material And Methods:
93 patients with SLE and 109 healthy women with similar basal characteristics were studied. All patients underwent a 12- lead electrocardiogram, and corrected QT interval (QTc) was measured using the Bazett's formula. The presence of atherosclerosis was evaluated by carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity.
Results:
Clinical basal characteristics were similar in both groups. QTc interval was 415 ± 21.4 milliseconds in all patients, and 407 ± 19.1 milliseconds in the control group (p = 0.007). There was a positive correlation between QTc interval and carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (r = 0.235; p = 0.02) in patients with SLE. This association was independent of hypertension and age in a multivariate analysis.
Conclusion:
QTc interval measured by electrocardiogram is prolonged in SLE patients; it is related to subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity. This measure may help stratify risk in routine clinical practice and select the patients that might benefit from a more aggressive therapy in the prevention of cardiovascular events.
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