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Relation of QTc duration heterogeneity to mortality following orthotopic heart transplantation.

Kolasa MW, Lee JC, Atwood JE, Marcus RR, Eckart RE

Cardiology Services of Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, USA. mark.kolasa@lackland.af.mil

Studies of heart failure patients have demonstrated that serial QT prolongation and abnormally prolonged QT intervals are associated with greater mortality. Serial QT interval measurements in patients who undergo orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) may quantify the degree of myocardial repolarization heterogeneity and serve as a marker of arrhythmogenic substrate. In this study, the mean survival for those with "stable" QT(c) intervals (a change of -10 to 10 ms/year) was 124 +/- 8 months versus 63 +/- 25 months in those with annual QT(c) changes of >10 ms (p = 0.009). Ventricular repolarization heterogeneity may serve as a marker of identifying high-risk patients after OHT.

Published 26 January 2005 in Am J Cardiol, 95(3): 431-2.
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