Effect of amiodarone on the descending limb of the T wave.
Comparing patients treated after myocardial infarction with amiodarone or with placebo, we found a significant rate-dependent prolongation of TpTe interval in patients who received amiodarone. Patients who had arrhythmic death had significantly longer TpTe intervals than others on placebo but not on amiodarone. Assuming that TpTe reflects transmural repolarization heterogeneity, our findings suggest that heterogeneity and arrhythmic risk are increased by amiodarone. This contradicts the finding of decreased transmural repolarization heterogeneity by amiodarone and the appreciated antiarrhythmic efficacy of this drug.
Smetana
Peter
P
Department of Cardiological Sciences, St. George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK.
Pueyo
Esther
E
Hnatkova
Katerina
K
Batchvarov
Velislav
V
Camm
A John
AJ
Malik
Marek
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone