Relation of the metabolic syndrome with proarrhythmogenic electrocardiographic parameters in patients without overt diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to observe the relationship of the metabolic syndrome and proarrythmogenic ECG parameters and to evaluate a possible correlation of these parameters to the metabolic syndrome score in patients without overt diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 142 patients with the metabolic syndrome and 170 age- and gender-matched control subjects. In the ECG recordings, resting heart rate, QRS duration, corrected QT duration and corrected QT dispersion were measured. Patients were classified into three groups based on number of fulfilled metabolic syndrome criteria: group 1 (three metabolic syndrome criteria), group 2 (four metabolic syndrome criteria) and group 3 (five metabolic syndrome criteria).


RESULTS
Patients with the metabolic syndrome had a higher increased resting heart rate, QTcd, prolonged QRS and QTc duration. Resting heart rate increases significantly parallel to the increase in the metabolic syndrome score across the groups, whilst QRS duration remained unchanged. QTc duration and QTc dispersion were significantly higher in groups 2 and 3 when compared to group 1. However, no significant differences were observed between groups 2 and 3.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that the metabolic syndrome and its score related with increased resting heart rate and prolonged repolarization durations in patiens without overt diabetes mellitus. These pro arrhythmogenic parameters could be used in the development of risk stratification schemes for sudden cardiac death in patients with the metabolic syndrome.
Department of Cardiology, Erzurum Region Education and Research Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey.
Turgay
T
Isik
Ibrahim H
IH
Tanboga
Mustafa
M
Kurt
Ahmet
A
Kaya
Mehmet
M
Ekinci
Erkan
E
Ayhan
Mahmut
M
Uluganyan
Mehmet
M
Ergelen
Tolga S
TS
Guvenc
Servet
S
Altay
Huseyin
H
Uyarel
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography