Implications of electrocardiographic frontal QRS axis on left ventricular diastolic parameters derived from...

Current electrocardiographic (ECG) machines report various variables including frontal QRS axis automatically. We tested the hypothesis that QRS axis is associated with left ventricular (LV) diastolic parameters derived from ECG-gated myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) independent of myocardial ischemia.

Ninety-three patients with preserved LV ejection fraction and no evidence of myocardial ischemia were enrolled based on ECG-gated SPECT. Peak filling rate (PFR), one-third mean filling rate (1/3 MFR) and time to peak filling (TTPF) were obtained as LV diastolic parameters.

There were 82 male and 11 female patients with a mean age of 69 ± 9 years. QRS axis ranged from - 40° to 85° (36° ± 31°). QRS axis was correlated with PFR (r = 0.28, p < 0.01), 1/3 MFR (r = 0.25, p = 0.02) and TTPF (r = - 0.21, p = 0.04). QRS axis was also correlated with age (r = - 0.23, p = 0.03), body mass index (BMI) (r = - 0.36, p < 0.01) and LV mass index (LVMI) (r = - 0.27, p < 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed that QRS axis was associated with PFR, 1/3 MFR and TTPF for LV diastolic function, but was not associated with these LV diastolic parameters after adjustment of various confounders.

Our data suggest that QRS axis depends on age, BMI or LVMI, and serves as a surrogate marker of LV diastolic function.