Prevalence of interatrial block in patients with Friedreich's ataxia.
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.
Panas
Marios
M
First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Gialafos
Elias
E
First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Electronic address: gialaf@yahoo.com.
Spengos
Kostas
K
First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Papaioannou
Theodore G
TG
First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Aggeli
Konstantina
K
First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Kladi
Athina
A
First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Siasos
Gerasimos
G
First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Gialafos
John
J
First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Vassilopoulos
Dimitrios
D
First Dept. of Neurology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Stefanadis
Christodoulos
C
First Dept. of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
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