[Factors related to the length of the corrected QT interval in patients treated with antipsychotics].
OBJECTIVE
The length of the heart-rate corrected QT interval (QTc) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiac dysrhythmia and sudden death. QTc length has been related to age, obesity, poor glycemic control, and use of drugs, such as antipsychotic medications. The objective of this cross-sectional naturalistic study was to assess the factors associated with QTc length in patients treated with antipsychotics.


METHODS
Bazett's formula for heart-rate correction was used to compute the corrected QT in 195 psychiatric inpatients treated with antipsychotics -117 males (60.0%), 78 females (40.0%); age (standard deviation): 28.4 (17.3) years (range: 12-84)-.


RESULTS
Older age (p < 0.001) and female gender (p = 0.006) were the only factors significantly related to longer QTc interval. Diagnosis, type of antipsychotic, dosage of antipsychotic, tobacco use, and cardiovascular history were not related to QTc length. Only one male patient with QTc = 455 had a pathological QTc length (females > 470 ms, males > 450 ms).


CONCLUSIONS
Factors related to QTc length in patients treated with antipsychotics are equivalent to those found in previous studies in patients not treated with antipsychotics.
Fraguas Herráez
David
D
Departamento de Psiquiatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España. davidfraguas@hggm.es
Laita de Roda
Paula
P
González Balmaseda
Guillermo
G
González Laynez
Eugenia
E
Gamo Bravo
Beatriz
B
Pascual Hernández
David
D
Parellada Redondo
Mara
M
Moreno Pardillo
Dolores
D
Franco Porras
Carolina
C
Llorente Sarabia
Cloe
C
Kushner
Steven A
SA
Arango López
Celso
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents