Electrocardiographic frontal QRS-T angle is independently associated with panic disorder

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Medical Electrocardiology

Background:

• Panic disorder (PD) is associated with cardiac electrical abnormalities that may increase the risk of serious arrhythmias.
• Several electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters, including abnormal P-wave axis (aPwa), fragmented QRS (fQRS), wide frontal QRS-T angle (fQRSTa), corrected QRS duration (QRSdc), and log/logQRS/RR ratio, are indicators of arrhythmia risk in the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare specific atrial and ventricular arrhythmia indicators via ECG in patients diagnosed with PD versus healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

• 169 newly diagnosed PD patients and 128 healthy controls underwent ECG.
• Electrocardiographic parameters including aPwa, fQRSTa, fQRS, QRSdc, and log/logQRS/RR were measured and compared between groups.
• The Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) was administered to assess PD severity.

Main Results:

• Patients with PD exhibited significantly higher rates of aPwa, fQRS, fQRSTa, QRSdc, and log/logQRS/RR compared to healthy controls.
• Wider fQRSTa, increased fQRS derivations, wider QRSdc, and higher log/logQRS/RR ratios correlated significantly with higher PAS scores.
• Logistic regression identified fQRSTa and the total number of fQRS as independent predictors of PD.

Conclusions:

• Untreated PD is associated with significant ECG abnormalities, including wider fQRSTa, QRSdc, log/logQRS/RR, abnormal aPwa, and the presence of fQRS.
• These ECG findings suggest a heightened susceptibility to supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias in PD patients.
• Routine ECG monitoring is recommended for managing PD patients due to potential arrhythmia risks.