title: A Novel Electrocardiographic T-Wave Measurement (Tp-Te Interval) as a Predictor of Heart Abnormalities in Hypertension: A New Opportunity for First-Line Electrocardiographic Evaluation.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of conventional and new markers of early cardiac organ damage (OD) on 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) in 25 outpatients with newly diagnosed untreated essential hypertension compared with 15 normotensive, otherwise healthy individuals. Each participant underwent ECG, echocardiographic, and blood pressure (BP) measurements. Conventional and new ECG indexes for cardiac OD (Tp-Te interval, ventricular activation time, and P-wave analysis) were also measured. Clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BP levels as well as left ventricular mass indexes were significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive patients. No significant differences were found between the two groups for ECG and echocardiographic markers of OD. Only Tp-Te interval was higher in hypertensive than in normotensive individuals (3.06 mm vs 2.24 mm; P<.0001), even after adjustment for anthropometric and clinical parameters. Preliminary results of this study demonstrated prolonged Tp-Te interval in newly diagnosed, untreated hypertensive outpatients compared with normotensive individuals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Flaminia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canichella
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Allegra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battistoni
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palano
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Francia
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppino Massimo
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ciavarella
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.|IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy.|IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tocci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult