title: Comparison of detection of arrhythmias in patients with chronic heart failure secondary to non-ischemic versus ischemic cardiomyopathy by 1 versus 7-day holter monitoring.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic sensitivity of 1-day Holter monitoring versus 7-day Holter monitoring (7DH) to detect atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in a population of stable patients with chronic heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction. Sixty-three consecutive stable patients with chronic heart failure with left ventricular ejection fractions < or =50% were included. Blood samples were obtained, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was administered, and echocardiography, 6-minute walk tests, and 7DH were performed at enrollment. The mean ejection fraction was 35.8 +/- 9.8%, and the mean age was 55.5 +/- 13.9 years. Seven-day Holter monitoring did not significantly increase the detection of nonsustained atrial tachycardia or atrial fibrillation. In contrast, the incidence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia increased in nonischemic patients from 35.1% on day 1 to 54.1% on day 7 (p = 0.01). In ischemic patients, the sensitivity increased from 11.5% to 46.2% (p = 0.004). Two patients without nonsustained ventricular tachycardia on day 1 had episodes of 13 and 16 beats on days 3 and 6 of monitoring. In patients with left ventricular ejection fractions >35% and N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels <1,000 pg/ml, no episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia were detected on day 1 in nonischemic and ischemic patients, but 7DH detected 3 new patients in each group. In conclusion, 7DH clearly improves the detection and allows a better characterization of ventricular arrhythmic episodes but seems to be less useful for supraventricular events.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain. franpastor79@hotmail.com
authors: Francisco J
authors: FJ
authors: Pastor-Pérez
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Manzano-Fernández
authors: Rebeca
authors: R
authors: Goya-Esteban
authors: Domingo A
authors: DA
authors: Pascual-Figal
authors: Oscar
authors: O
authors: Barquero-Pérez
authors: Jose Luis
authors: JL
authors: Rojo-Alvarez
authors: Maria Dolores Martinez
authors: MD
authors: Martinez-Espejo
authors: Mariano Valdés
authors: MV
authors: Chavarri
authors: Arcadio
authors: A
authors: García-Alberola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013997:Time Factors; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology