Effect of obesity on P-wave dispersion and QT dispersion in women.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of obesity on dispersion of P-wave duration and QTc interval in obese women.


METHODS
Forty-two obese women (Body mass index (BMI)=40+/-3 kg/m(2), mean age 45+/-9 years) and compared age-matched (BMI=22+/-1 kg/m(2), mean age 41+/-6 years) twenty-five non-obese women were included in our study. Maximum and minimum P-wave duration, P-wave dispersion (difference between the maximum and the minimum P-wave duration), maximum and minimum QTc interval, and QTc dispersion (the difference between the maximum and the minimum QTc interval) were measured from 12-lead ECG. ECG's were transferred to a personal computer via a scanner and then used for magnification of 400 times by Adobe Photoshop software.


RESULTS
There was significant difference in BMI (40+/-3 vs 22+/-1 kg/m(2), P<0.001, respectively) between obese and non-obese women. Obese women had higher Max. P-wave duration (116+/-11 vs 94+/-14 ms, P<0.001), P-wave dispersion (51+/-15 vs 26+/-11 ms, P<0.001), Max. QTc interval (449+/-38 vs 419+/-30 ms, P<0.001) and QTc dispersion (57+/-23 vs 38+/-15 ms, P<0.001) compared to non-obese women. A significant correlation was found between BMI and Max. P-wave duration (r=0.584, P<0.001), P-wave dispersion (r=0.621, P<0.001), Max. QTc interval (r=0.410, P<0.001), and QTc dispersion (r=0.429, P<0.001). In the linear regression analysis, compared to co-morbidity factors such as age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking, there was significant association between only BMI and electrocardiographic values (P-wave and QTc dispersion).


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that obesity caused significant increase in P-wave and QTc dispersion. Therefore, obese women may not only be under the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, but also they may under the risk of atrial arrhythmias.
Seyfeli
E
E
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of School, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey. eseyfeli@hotmail.com
Duru
M
M
Kuvandik
G
G
Kaya
H
H
Yalcin
F
F
D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000150:complications; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects