Open AccessRelationship Between Autonomic Control of Heart Rate and QT Dispersion in Patients with Acute Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction
Author(s) -
Mazur Alexander,
Strasberg Boris,
Kusniec Jairo,
Imbar Shula,
Sulkes Jacqueline,
Abramson Evgeny,
Sclarovsky Samuel
Publication year - 1999
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 - 10.1111/j.1542-474x.1999.tb00054.x
Subject(s) - medicine , heart rate variability , cardiology , repolarization , qt interval , myocardial infarction , electrocardiography , heart rate , sudden cardiac death , dispersion (optics) , electrophysiology , blood pressure , physics , optics
Background Heart rate variability (HRV) and QT dispersion are new and promising noninvasive indices for postinfarction risk stratification. The relationship between measures in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unknown. Methods We analyzed short‐term HRV and standard electrocardiogram recordings for QT dispersion in 56 patients with first Q‐wave anterior wall AMI. Results All frequency domain measures of HRV correlated inversely with the magnitude of QT dispersion. The correlations were relatively stronger for rate‐corrected (−0.46 to −0.59) than for original values (−0.37 to −0.5) of QT dispersion. Similarly, the average normal cardiac cycle length (average NN) computed from HRV recordings correlated weakly and inversely with the magnitude of noncorrected QT dispersion (r =−0.29). Conclusions The inverse relationships between QT dispersion and both NN interval and HRV found in the present study suggest impaired adaptation of ventricular repolarization to changes in heart rate in AMI patients. Abnormal autonomic modulation of ventricular repolarization may thus result in increased QT dispersion. This finding may provide some insight into the mechanism underlying increased risk of sudden death after AMI. A.N.E. 1999; 4(2):152–157