Fragmented QRS in patients with preeclampsia

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Obstetrics
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.
• Identifying cardiac involvement in PE is crucial for management.
• Fragmented QRS complexes (fQRS) may indicate myocardial electrical abnormalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of fQRS in pregnant women with PE.
• To explore clinical correlates and prognostic implications of fQRS in PE.
• To assess the role of electrocardiographic markers in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study comparing 128 women with PE and 122 healthy controls.
• 12-lead electrocardiography was used to assess fQRS and other cardiac parameters.
• Clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were compared between groups.

Main Results:

• fQRS was significantly more prevalent in women with PE (14.1%) compared to controls (3.3%).
• fQRS and serum sodium (Na) levels were independently associated with PE after multivariable adjustment.
• Elevated ALT levels were also observed in the PE group.

Conclusions:

• Preeclampsia is associated with a higher prevalence of fragmented QRS complexes.
• Electrolyte imbalances and hemodynamic stress may contribute to myocardial electrical instability in PE.
• fQRS warrants further investigation for risk stratification in PE.