Qt dispersion has no prognostic information for patients with advanced congestive heart failure and reduced left ventricular systolic function

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BACKGROUND: QT dispersion is a potential prognostic marker of tachyarrhythmic events and death, but it is unclear whether this applies to patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Of the 1518 patients with advanced CHF and left ventricular dysfunction enrolled in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide-CHF (Diamond-CHF) study, a baseline ECG was available in 1319 patients. Of these, QT dispersion could be measured in 703 patients. During a median follow-up of 18 months (minimum 1 year), 285 patients (41%) died. The median QT dispersion was 70 ms (34/155 ms [5%/95% percentiles]), with no difference between survivors and nonsurvivors. Survival analysis revealed no prognostic information derived from QT dispersion regarding all-cause mortality (risk ratio 1.00, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.00; P=0.74), cardiac mortality (risk ratio 1.00, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.01; P=0.55), or cardiac arrhythmic mortality (risk ratio 1.00, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.01; P=0.38). CONCLUSIONS: QT dispersion has no prognostic value regarding all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, or cardiac arrhythmic mortality for patients with advanced CHF and reduced left ventricular systolic function.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCirculation
Volume103
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)831-5
Number of pages4
ISSN0009-7322
Publication statusPublished - 2001

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Clinical Trials as Topic; Denmark; Double-Blind Method; Electrocardiography; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Humans; Middle Aged; Observer Variation; Phenethylamines; Prognosis; Sulfonamides; Survival Analysis; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

ID: 17399061