Impact of coronary collateral circulation on QT dispersion in patients with coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of coronary collateral circulation (CCC) on QT dispersion (QTD) in coronary artery disease.


BACKGROUND
A prolonged QTD has been linked to increased heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization implicated in the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias and has been associated with an adverse prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease.


METHODS
CCC and corrected QTD (QTcD) were established in patients who had at least 85% stenosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery or in proximal part or in the body of the right coronary artery. Furthermore, left ventricular function score was determined for all the patients.


RESULTS
While CCC was not present (CCC grade 0) in 32 patients, 68 patients were observed with CCC (CCC grade > or =1). Mean QTcD was higher in patients who had CCC grade > or =1 than in patients with grade 0 (64.3+/-3.5 and 46.8+/-2.7, respectively, P=0.002). We detected a significant correlation between the collateral score and QTcD (r=0.354, P=0.001). CCC grade > or =1 patients had higher mean left ventricular function scores than grade 0 patients (P=0.048). Left ventricular function score and QTcD were observed to be correlated (r=0.200, P=0.046).


CONCLUSIONS
CCC in chronic coronary artery disease was not established to have a positive decreasing effect on QTcD. On the contrary, QTcD values were observed to be even higher in patients with well developed CCC. Further research including larger series and long-term follow-up is required to investigate this issue.
Tandogan
Izzet
I
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey. izzet@tandogan.tr.tc
Aslan
Halil
H
Aksoy
Yuksel
Y
Topal
Ergun
E
Turgut
Okan
O
Yilmaz
Ahmet
A
Acikgoz
Nusret
N
Kosar
Feridun
F
Ozdemir
Ramazan
R
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology