C-reactive Protein Elevation Is Associated With QTc Interval Prolongation in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• The link between inflammation and corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation in COVID-19 is not well understood.
• Inflammatory markers may influence cardiac repolarization in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and QTc interval duration in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• To determine if significant changes in CRP correlate with QTc interval changes during COVID-19 infection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 85 adult COVID-19 patients with serial ECG and CRP measurements.
• Comparison of mean QTc intervals during high vs. low CRP levels.
• Mixed-effects linear regression to analyze CRP-QTc association.

Main Results:

• Mean QTc interval was 15 ms longer with high CRP levels (447 ms) compared to low CRP levels (432 ms).
• A 100 mg/L increase in CRP was associated with a 1.5 ms QTc increase (β=0.15, P<0.001).
• This association remained significant after adjusting for clinical and demographic factors (β=0.14, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Marked elevation in C-reactive protein levels is associated with corrected QT interval prolongation in COVID-19 patients.
• This finding highlights a potential link between systemic inflammation and cardiac electrical activity in COVID-19.