Tpeak-Tend Interval during Pregnancy and Postpartum

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Obstetrics
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Pregnancy can unmask or cause new cardiac arrhythmias.
• Prolonged QTc interval increases risk of ventricular arrhythmias, syncope, and sudden cardiac death.
• The postpartum period is highly arrhythmogenic, and Tpeak-Tend (TpTe) interval is a sensitive marker of arrhythmogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Tpeak-Tend (TpTe) interval duration during pregnancy trimesters and the postpartum period.
• To compare TpTe interval changes with QTc interval changes during pregnancy and postpartum.

Main Methods:

• 128 pregnant or postpartum women and 32 non-pregnant controls underwent standard 12-lead ECG.
• ECG analysis included measurement of TpTe and QTc intervals.
• Statistical analysis compared interval durations between groups.

Main Results:

• Significantly longer TpTe and QTc intervals were observed in pregnant and postpartum women compared to controls.
• The postpartum period showed the highest TpTe and QTc values.
• TpTe interval increase (31.10%) was significantly greater than QTc interval increase (4.18%) during pregnancy and postpartum (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• The TpTe interval and QTc parameter increase during pregnancy and postpartum, peaking postpartum.
• TpTe interval shows a more significant increase than the QTc interval.
• Clinical significance of TpTe interval changes requires further investigation with larger cohorts and correlation with echocardiography.