Patients with ischemic stroke have a higher prevalence of a planar QRS-T angle >90° than patients with transient ischemic attack.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of a planar QRS-T angle >90° in patients with ischemic stroke versus transient ischemic attack (TIA).


METHODS
In a prospective study of 279 consecutive patients who had ischemic stroke (197 patients) or TIA (82 patients), the planar QRS-T angle was measured from a 12-lead electrocardiogram taken at the time of the stroke or TIA. All QRS-T angle measurements were made by 3 authors who agreed on the measurements and who were blinded to the clinical findings. A QRS-T angle >90° was considered abnormal.


RESULTS
The mean age was 66±6 years in patients with ischemic stroke versus 62±6 years in patients with TIA (p=0.04). The mean body mass index and the prevalence of gender, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and coronary artery disease were not significantly different between patients with ischemic stroke versus TIA. A QRS-T angle >90° was present in 55 of 197 patients (28%) with ischemic stroke and in 10 of 82 patients (12%) with TIA (p=0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of a planar QRS-T angle >90° was higher in patients with ischemic stroke than in patients with TIA (p=0.004).
Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
Kaushang
K
Gandhi
Wilbert S
WS
Aronow
Harit
H
Desai
Chandrasekar
C
Palaniswamy
Tarunjit
T
Singh
Harshad
H
Amin
Mala
M
Sharma
Hoang M
HM
Lai
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology*