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Published on: June 12, 2021
The Burden of Ventricular Premature Complex Is Associated With Cardiovascular Mortality
Po-Tseng Lee1,2, Ting-Chun Huang1,2, Mu-Hsiang Huang2
1Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Insights
A higher burden of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs), detected by Holter ECG, independently increases the risk of cardiovascular death. This finding highlights the prognostic significance of VPC frequency in patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) are common arrhythmias.
- VPCs are linked to an elevated risk of heart failure (HF).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between VPC burden and long-term prognosis.
- To clarify the role of VPC frequency in cardiovascular mortality.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, large population-based cohort study in Taiwan.
- Analysis of 19,527 patients undergoing 24-h Holter ECG monitoring.
- Utilized NCKUH-EMR and NCKUH-Holter databases.
Main Results:
- Moderate (1,000-10,000/day) and high (>10,000/day) VPC burdens were associated with increased cardiovascular death.
- Low VPC burden (<1,000/day) served as the reference group.
- Statistical models included Cox regression and competing risk analysis.
Conclusions:
- Increased VPC burden via Holter ECG is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality.
- VPC frequency is a significant factor in long-term cardiovascular prognosis.
Background:
Ventricular premature complex (VPC) is one of the most common ventricular arrhythmias. The presence of VPC is associated with an increased risk of heart failure (HF).
Method:
We designed a single-center, retrospective, and large population-based cohort to clarify the role of VPC burden in long-term prognosis in Taiwan. We analyzed the database from the National Cheng Kung University Hospital-Electronic Medical Record (NCKUH-EMR) and NCKUH-Holter (NCKUH-Holter). A total of 19,527 patients who underwent 24-h Holter ECG monitoring due to palpitation, syncope, and clinical suspicion of arrhythmias were enrolled in this study.
Results:
The clinical outcome of interests involved 5.65% noncardiovascular death and 1.53% cardiovascular-specific deaths between 2011 and 2018. Multivariate Cox regression analysis, Fine and Gray's competing risk model, and propensity score matching demonstrated that both moderate (1,000-10,000/day) and high (>10,000/day) VPC burdens contributed to cardiovascular death in comparison with a low VPC burden (<1,000/day).
Conclusion:
A higher VPC burden via Holter ECG is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular mortality.
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