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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: February 13, 2021
Cardiac repolarization and depolarization in people with Type 1 diabetes with normal ejection fraction and without
J L Isaksen1,2, C Graff2, C Ellervik3
1Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Aims:
To investigate depolarization and repolarization durations in people with Type 1 diabetes, including the relationship to age.
Methods:
855 persons with Type 1 diabetes without known heart disease were included and matched with 1710 participants from a general population study. Clinical examinations, questionnaires and biochemistry were assessed. A 10-second 12-lead ECG was performed and analysed digitally.
Results:
QTc was longer in people with Type 1 diabetes compared to controls (414±16 vs. 411±19 ms, P <0.001), and particularly so in young people with Type 1 diabetes. The fully adjusted increase was 13.8 ms (95% confidence interval (CI): 8.6-19.0 ms, P <0.001) at age 20 years and 3.4 ms (CI: 1.5-5.3 ms, P<0.001) at age 40 years. The rate-corrected QRSc was increased in people with Type 1 diabetes (97±11 vs. 95±11 ms, P <0.001) and was age-independent (P =0.5). JTc was increased in the young people with Type 1 diabetes (10.7 ms (CI: 5.4-16.0 ms, P <0.001) at age 20 years), but not in older people with Type 1 diabetes (interaction age-diabetes, P <0.01).
Conclusions:
For people with Type 1 diabetes, cardiac depolarization is increased at all ages, whereas repolarization is increased only relatively in young people with Type 1 diabetes. Hence, young people with Type 1 diabetes may be more prone to ventricular arrhythmias. The findings contribute to the understanding of sudden cardiac death in young people with Type 1 diabetes.
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