title: Effect of smoking on Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios as indices of ventricular arrhythmogenesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking may lead to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death via altering ventricular recovery time dispersion indices such as QT interval and QT dispersion (QTd). The Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios are also known as predictors of ventricular arrhythmogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cigarette smoking and ventricular repolarisation dispersion using these novel electrocardiographic parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-one chronic smokers and 70 age- and sex-matched non-smoker controls were included in our study. The Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were measured by 12-lead electrocardiogram, and corrected for heart rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  QTd (34.2 ± 8.4, 27.2 ± 10.4, P<0.001) and corrected QTd (37.3 ± 8.9, 29.8 ± 11.2, P<0.001) were significantly increased in the smokers compared to the non-smoker control group. The Tp-e interval (76.5 ± 6.3, 70.3 ± 6.8, P<0.001), cTp-e interval (83.5 ± 8.0, 77.1 ± 8.7, P<0.001), Tp-e/QT (0.20 ± 0.03, 0.19 ± 0.02, P<0.001) and Tp-e/QTc ratios (0.19 ± 0.02, 0.17 ± 0.02, P<0.001) were increased in the patient group when compared to the controls. Significant positive correlations were also found between the level of smoking with the cTp-e interval (r=0.836, P<0.001), and Tp-e/QT (r=0.714, P<0.001) and Tp-e/QTc ratios (r=0.448, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found in our study that cTp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios were increased in smokers and significantly correlated to the amount of smoking.
authors.affiliation: Adiyaman University, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Adiyaman, Turkey. Electronic address: hakantasolar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taşolar
authors.affiliation: Adiyaman University, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballı
authors.affiliation: Elbistan State Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayramoğlu
authors.affiliation: Kars State Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yılmaz Ömür
authors.initials: YÖ
authors.lastname: Otlu
authors.affiliation: Adiyaman University, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.affiliation: 18 Mart University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Çanakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.affiliation: Adiyaman University, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cakıcı
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Nicotine; Smokers; Tp-e interval; Tp-e/QT ratio; Ventricular arrhythmogenesis