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QT dispersion as a marker of left ventricular mass in essential hypertension
1Upgraded Department of General Medicine, SMS Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur.
Insights
Increased left ventricular mass in hypertension is linked to higher QT dispersion, a measure of heart electrical activity. This study found a significant positive correlation between left ventricular mass and QT dispersion in hypertensive patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Research
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Left ventricular mass is a key risk factor for cardiovascular complications in hypertension.
- QT dispersion reflects cardiac electrical heterogeneity and can indicate arrhythmia risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between left ventricular mass and QT dispersion in patients with essential hypertension.
- To determine if increased left ventricular mass correlates with greater QT dispersion.
Main Methods:
- Studied 49 patients with essential hypertension.
- Measured left ventricular mass using M-mode echocardiography.
- Assessed QT dispersion via 12-lead electrocardiogram, defining it as the difference between maximum and minimum QT intervals.
- Defined left ventricular hypertrophy using established criteria (men >134 gm/m2, women >110 gm/m2).
Main Results:
- 22 patients (15 men, 7 women) exhibited left ventricular hypertrophy.
- Mean QT dispersion was significantly higher in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy compared to those without (Men: 82.66 ms vs 36.66 ms; Women: 77.14 ms vs 26.66 ms).
- A direct, linear, and positive correlation was observed between left ventricular mass and QT dispersion in both men (r=0.59, p<0.001) and women (r=0.69, p<0.01).
Conclusions:
- Left ventricular mass is directly correlated with QT dispersion in essential hypertension.
- Increased left ventricular mass may contribute to cardiac electrical instability, as indicated by higher QT dispersion.
- QT dispersion could serve as a potential non-invasive marker for assessing cardiovascular risk associated with left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive individuals.
Abstract:
Increased left ventricular mass is an important risk factor in hypertension for various cardiovascular complications. We studied 49 patients of essential hypertension and the relationship between QT dispersion (defined as the difference between the maximum and the minimum QT interval in a 12-lead electrocardiogram) and M-mode echocardiographic left ventricular mass was analysed. Criterion of left ventricular hypertrophy was left ventricular mass index above 134 gm/m2 in men and above 110 gm/m2 in women. There were a total of 22 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (15 men and 7 women). The mean QT dispersion was 82.66 +/- 35.34 milliseconds (ms) in men with left ventricular hypertrophy and 36.66 +/- 15.71 ms in men without left ventricular hypertrophy. The mean QT dispersion was 77.14 +/- 29.27 ms in women with left ventricular hypertrophy and 26.66 +/- 9.99 ms in women without left ventricular hypertrophy. The correlation co-efficient was 0.59 (p < 0.001) and 0.69 (p < 0.01) in men and women, respectively. Hence, we conclude that there is a direct, linear and positive correlation between left ventricular mass and QT dispersion in essential hypertension.