Open AccessPrevalence of Potential Noninvasive Arrhythmia Risk Predictors in Healthy, Middle‐Aged Persons
Author(s) -
Grimm Wolfram,
Liedtke Julia,
Müller HansHelge
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of noninvasive electrocardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.494
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1542-474X
pISSN - 1082-720X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1542-474x.2003.08107.x
Subject(s) - medicine , heart rate turbulence , cardiology , baroreflex , t wave alternans , heart rate variability , electrocardiography , heart rate , signal averaged electrocardiogram , population , prospective cohort study , risk stratification , observational study , sudden cardiac death , blood pressure , environmental health
Background : To date, prevalence and clinical significance of noninvasive arrhythmia risk predictors in apparently healthy, middle‐aged persons are largely unknown. Methods : A total of 110 apparently healthy persons 20–75 years old were enrolled in this prospective observational monocenter study and followed up for 32 ± 15 months. Baseline investigations included symptom‐limited bicycle ergometry, echocardiography, time‐domain analysis, and spectral turbulence analysis of the signal‐averaged electrocardiogram (ECG), ventricular arrhythmias, and heart rate variability on 24‐hour Holter ECG, baroreflex sensitivity, and t‐wave alternans in all persons. Results : The prevalence of an abnormal signal‐averaged ECG was 1% for spectral turbulence analysis and varied between 1% and 37% for time‐domain analysis depending upon the definition used for an abnormal time‐domain analysis. A reduced heart rate variability defined as a standard deviation of normal‐to‐normal intervals ≤105 ms, <100 ms and <70 ms was found in 12%, 9%, and 1% of persons. A baroreflex sensitivity <6 ms/mmHg and <3 ms/mmHg was present in 15% and 2% of persons. Microvolt t‐wave alternans was found to be positive in 5%, negative in 88%, and indeterminate in 7% of persons, respectively. During the 32 ± 15 months follow‐up, no arrhythmic events and no cardiovascular mortality were observed in this population. Conclusions: Abnormal findings of noninvasive arrhythmia risk stratification can be found in 1–37% of healthy, middle‐aged persons when previously reported cut‐off values are used.