Open AccessECG Evaluation of Ventricular Properties: The Importance of Cardiac Cycle Length
Author(s) -
Extramiana Fabrice,
Leenhardt Antoine,
MaisonBlanche Pierre
Publication year - 2009
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.2008.00257.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiology , qt interval , repolarization , short qt syndrome , qrs complex , ventricular repolarization , duration (music) , cardiac cycle , cardiomyopathy , heart rate , long qt syndrome , heart failure , electrophysiology , blood pressure , art , literature
Ventricular repolarization properties are dependent on cardiac cycle length. The aim of this article is to emphasize the importance of taking into account heart rate influences on QT duration but also on current and future T‐wave morphology parameters. The relationship between QT interval duration and RR interval is a fundamental property of the myocardium that is impaired by the presence of channelopathies such as the LQTS or SQTS, but also by the presence of a cardiomyopathy. Assessing this property is also important when the individual QT/RR relationship is used for individual QT correction in the setting of evaluation of drugs' effect on QT duration. T‐wave descriptors such as the relative weight of the terminal part of the T‐wave, the amplitude of T‐wave apex and Principal Component Analysis parameters are also dependent on heart rate. Assessing ventricular repolarisation ECG parameters at different heart rates avoids the need for difficult rate‐correction and helps to better understand and characterize ventricular repolarisation properties.