title: Evaluation of Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio in patients with non-dipper hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Non-dipper hypertension is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Several studies have suggested that the interval from the peak to the end of the electrocardiographic T wave (Tp-e) may correspond to the transmural dispersion of repolarization and that increased Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio are associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to evaluate ventricular repolarization by using Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio in patients with non-dipper hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 80 hypertensive patients. Hypertensive patients were divided into two groups: 50 dipper patients (29 male, mean age 51.5 ± 8 years) and 30 non-dipper patients (17 male, mean age 50.6 ± 5.4 years). Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were measured from the 12-lead electrocardiogram. These parameters were compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference was found between two groups in terms of basic characteristics. In electrocardiographic parameters analysis, QT dispersion (QTd) and corrected QTd were significantly increased in non-dipper patients compared to the dippers (39.4 ± 11.5 versus 27.3 ± 7.5 ms and 37.5 ± 9.5 versus 29.2 ± 6.5 ms, p = 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively). Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were also significantly higher in non-dipper patients (97.5 ± 11.2 versus 84.2 ± 8.3 ms and 0.23 ± 0.02 versus 0.17 ± 0.02, all p value <0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed that QTd, Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio are prolonged in patients with non-dipper hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Yüksek İhtisas Education and Research Hospital , Bursa , Turkey and.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Umut
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Uyan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Arrhytmia; Tp-e interval; Tp-e/QT ratio; non-dipper hypertension