title: Electrocardiographic abnormalities among arsenic-exposed persons through groundwater in Bangladesh.
abstract: This study was carried out among arsenic-exposed and non-exposed people of Bangladesh to assess and compare their cardiac status based on electrocardiographic (ECG) findings. For the purpose of the study, participants were included in three groups: arsenic-exposed persons with arsenicosis (arsenicosis group), arsenic-exposed persons without arsenicosis (non-arsenicosis group), and persons not exposed to arsenic (non-exposed group). Each group included 50 respondents. In this study, no significant difference in heart rate, rhythm, axis, and pulse rate interval was detected among the arsenicosis, non-arsenicosis and non-exposed groups. A significant difference in corrected QT interval between the arsenicosis and the non-exposed group (p<0.05) was observed. On the contrary, no statistically significant difference in corrected QT interval between the non-arsenicosis and the non-exposed group was found. Abnormal QRS complex was found among 14%, 8%, and 2% of the arsenicosis, non-arsenicosis, and non-exposed groups respectively. ECG findings, indicative of left ventricular hypertrophy, ischaemic heart disease, and right bundle branch block, were high among the arsenicosis group. Overall, abnormal ECG findings were high (58%) among the respondents of the arsenicosis group and were highly significant (p<0.001). The findings revealed that there was a significant association between ECG abnormalities and arsenic exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. anon@bdcom.com
authors.forename: S Akhtar
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Fatema
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khatun
authors.forename: M H Salim Ullah
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sayed
authors.forename: Manzurul Haque
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Rashed
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Mohammed Zakir
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Faruquee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000139:chemically induced; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000139:chemically induced; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D001151:Arsenic