Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2025
Patient Directed Recording of a Bipolar Three-Lead Electrocardiogram using a Smartwatch with ECG Function
Published on: December 11, 2019
The Effect of Obesity on Repolarization and Other ECG Parameters
Irena A Dykiert1, Krzysztof Kraik2, Lidia Jurczenko2
1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Division of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wrocław, Poland.
Insights
Obesity prolongs specific heart repolarization markers like Tpeak-Tend and JTpeak, alongside increased P-wave and QRS duration abnormalities, indicating potential cardiovascular risks in overweight individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Obesity Medicine
Background:
- Overweight and obesity are established risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
- Repolarization markers, including Tpeak-Tend and JTpeak intervals, require further investigation in obese populations.
- Understanding ECG changes in obesity is crucial for cardiovascular risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate prolonged repolarization markers (Tpeak-Tend, JTpeak) in overweight and obese patients.
- To assess the prevalence of other ECG abnormalities in this demographic.
- To explore correlations between ECG parameters and obesity metrics.
Main Methods:
- 181 adults with overweight and class 1 obesity underwent ECG analysis.
- Participants completed questionnaires on health status.
- Standard 12-lead ECGs were analyzed for various parameters.
Main Results:
- Obese individuals showed significantly prolonged Tpeak-Tend, JTpeak, and P-wave dispersion.
- QT dispersion was also elevated in the obese group.
- Tpeak-Tend and JTpeak correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist, hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).
Conclusions:
- Specific repolarization markers are prolonged in class 1 obesity.
- Obese patients exhibit a higher incidence of P-wave abnormalities and prolonged QRS duration.
- These ECG findings highlight potential cardiovascular implications of obesity.
Abstract:
Background: Overweight and obesity are important risk factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases. New repolarization markers, such as the Tpeak-Tend interval and JTpeak intervals, have not yet been profoundly studied in obese patients. The study aims to analyze whether, in patients with obesity and overweight, repolarization markers, including the Tpeak-Tend interval, are prolonged and simultaneously check the frequency of other ECG pathologies in a 12-lead ECG in this group of patients. Methods: A study group consisted of 181 adults (90 females and 91 males) with overweight and first-class obesity. The participants completed a questionnaire, and the ECG was performed and analyzed. Results: When analyzing the classic markers, only QT dispersion was significantly higher in obese people. The Tpeak-Tend parameter (97.08 ms ± 23.38 vs. 89.74 ms ± 12.88, respectively), its dispersion, and JTpeak-JTend parameters were statistically significantly longer in the obese group than in the controls. There were also substantial differences in P-wave, QRS duration, and P-wave dispersion, which were the highest in obese people. Tpeak-Tend was positively correlated with body mass and waist circumference, while JTpeak was with BMI, hip circumference, and WHR. Tpeak/JT was positively correlated with WHR and BMI. In backward stepwise multiple regression analysis for JTpeak-WHR, type 2 diabetes and smoking had the highest statistical significance. Conclusions: Only selected repolarization markers are significantly prolonged in patients with class 1 obesity and, additionally, in this group, we identified more pathologies of P wave as well as prolonged QRS duration.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Electrocardiogram
Three major waveforms are present in a typical ECG recording: the P wave, the QRS complex, and...
01:28Electrocardiogram Fundamentals
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a diagnostic tool for identifying cardiac conditions such as arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, and myocardial ischemia.
Definition
An electrocardiogram (ECG) visualizes the heart's electrical activity by tracing the electrical movement associated with each heartbeat on a graph or monitor. As the heart beats, an electrical wave passes through it, correlating with the cardiac cycle events.
Parts of an ECG
An ECG utilizes electrodes on the skin...
01:24Obesity
01:30Cardiac Action Potential
The cardiac action potential process involves a series of phases characterized by the movement of ions across the cardiac cell membranes, leading to the depolarization and repolarization of the cardiac myocytes.
Ionic Basis of Cardiac Action Potentials
01:24ECG Interpretation of Rhythms
Components of the Electrocardiogram
The primary components of a normal ECG waveform in Normal sinus rhythm(NSR) include the P wave, PR interval, QRS complex, ST segment, T wave, and occasionally a U wave.
ECG waveforms are divided by vertical and horizontal lines at standard intervals.
The horizontal axis measures time and rate, and the vertical axis measures amplitude or voltage....
01:16ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias I: Sinus Arrhythmias
Types of Arrhythmias
Sinus Node Arrhythmias
Sinus Bradycardia: Originating from the sinoatrial (SA) node, sinus bradycardia involves slower impulses, resulting in a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute (bpm). Causes include sleep, vagal stimulation, beta-blockers, hypothyroidism,...