title: Prevalence of interatrial block in patients with Friedreich's ataxia.
abstract: Interatrial block is a predictor of atrial arrhythmias. Aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of interatrial block (IAB) in Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) compared to controls and correlate it with echocardiographic and genetic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  IAB, defined as an electrocardiographic (ECG) derived P-wave duration >120 ms, echocardiographic variables and genetic markers were evaluated in 23 FA patients with no manifestation of cardiac involvement and were compared to 23 sex- and age-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IAB was significantly more frequent among FA patients compared to controls (11/23 vs 1/23, p<0.005 respectively). However, no correlations with echocardiographic parameters or Guanine-Adenine-Adenine (GAA) trinucleotide repeat lengths could be established.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early recognition of IAB could allow the identification of asymptomatic FA patients who are prone to develop potentially life-threatening arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panas
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Electronic address: gialaf@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gialafos
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spengos
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodore G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aggeli
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Athina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kladi
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Gerasimos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siasos
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gialafos
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vassilopoulos
authors.affiliation: First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012848:Sinoatrial Block / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics