Cardiac Electrical and Structural Changes after Iodinated Contrast Media Administration: A Longitudinal Cohort...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Radiology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Iodinated contrast media are widely used in radiological procedures.
• Excess iodine from contrast can cause thyroid dysfunction, linked to adverse cardiac outcomes.
• Prospective studies on cardiac physiology changes after iodine contrast are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate longitudinal relationships between iodinated contrast dose and cardiac electrophysiology and structure.
• To assess changes in cardiac function up to 36 months post-contrast administration.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal cohort study of patients receiving iodine contrast for elective procedures.
• Serial collection of serum thyroid function tests, EKGs, and echocardiograms.
• Mixed-effects models used to analyze trends in cardiac electrical and structural changes.

Main Results:

• Larger iodine exposure associated with increased QRS and QTc durations and decreased ejection fraction (EF).
• These associations persisted for follow-up EF after adjusting for baseline values.
• Dose-response analysis showed lower EF with higher iodine amounts; EKG trends were not significant.

Conclusions:

• Increased iodinated contrast administration is associated with reduced ejection fraction over 36 months.
• Further research is needed to understand long-term cardiac electrical and structural changes after contrast administration.