title: Detection of hypertensive patients at risk for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation during sinus rhythm by computer-assisted P wave analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether hypertensive patients at risk for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) could be detected while in sinus rhythm, a computer-based 12-lead surface electrocardiogram was recorded in 50 hypertensive patients with history of paroxysmal AF (group A) and in 60 hypertensive patients without history of AF (group B). The maximum P-wave duration (P(maximum)), the minimum P-wave duration (P(minimum)), P-wave dispersion (Pdispersion = Pmaximum Pminimum), adjusted P-wave dispersion (APdispersion = Pdispersion/square root of the number of measurable leads), mean P-wave duration (mean P) and the standard deviation of the P-wave duration in all measured leads (SDP) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pdispersion, APdispersion and SDP were significantly higher in group A than in group B (Pdispersion, 52 +/- 19 versus 41 +/- 15 ms, P< 0.001; APdispersion, 15.2 +/- 5.5 versus 11.9 +/- 4.6 ms, P< 0.001; SDP, 16 +/- 5 versus 13 +/- 5 ms, P < 0.001). P(minimum), mean P and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) were significantly lower in group A than in group B (Pminimum, 79 +/- 18 versus 91 +/- 13 ms, P < 0.001; mean P, 108 +/- 18 versus 116 +/- 13 ms, P= 0.005; LVEF, 64 +/- 5 versus 69 +/- 8%, P< 0.001). Pminimum, Pdispersion, mean P, SDP, APdispersion and LVEF were found to be significant univariate predictors of paroxysmal AF, whereas only Pminimum (P< 0.001) remained a significant independent predictor of paroxysmal AF in the multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertensive patients at risk for paroxysmal AF could be detected while in sinus rhythm by computer-assisted electrocardiographic P-wave analysis.
authors.affiliation: State Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece. hrodil@yahoo.com
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Dilaveris
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gialafos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chrissos
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Andrikopoulos
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lazaki
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gialafos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012306:Risk