title: Total Mortality, Major Adverse Cardiac Events, and Echocardiographic-Derived Cardiac Parameters with Fragmented QRS Complex.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fragmented QRS complex (fQRS), an easily evaluated noninvasive electrocardiographic parameter, is associated with worse outcomes in patients with several cardiovascular conditions. The presence of fQRS on ECG may be an indicator of myocardial damage in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In this article, we performed a meta-analysis in order to characterize the presence of fQRS on ECG in patients with CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched English-language randomized controlled trials involving fQRS on ECG in patients with CAD (n = 3279 patients, 12 trials). Two reviewers independently extracted data. Data on LVEF, LVESD, LVEDD, LVESV, LVEDV, total mortality, stroke, and MACE were collected. fQRS was performed a comparison with non-fQRS, calculating pooled relatives risk (RRs) and weighted mean difference (WMD), and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  fQRS was associated with significant increased WMD of LVEDD (WMD, 2.26; 95%CI, 0.92 to 0.36, P = 0.0009), LVESD (WMD, 2.71; 95%CI, 1.23 to 4.19, P = 0.0003), LVEDV (WMD, 31.37; 95%CI, 24.82 to 37.92, P < 0.00001), and LVESV (WMD, 28.45; 95%CI, 22.92 to 33.98, P < 0.00001). As compared to non-fQRS, fQRS increased risk of total mortality (RR, 3.09; 95%CI, 1.76 to 5.44, P < 0.0001) and MACE (RR, 2.85; 95%CI, 1.98 to 4.09, P < 0.00001) in patients with CAD. However, a decreased trend was observed for LVEF (WMD, -3.59; 95%CI, -7.05 to -0.12, P = 0.04). For the incidence of stoke, there was no difference between fQRS and non-fQRS group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that fQRS is a valuable factor to predict total mortality and MACE in patients with CAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bojun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zicheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: coronary artery disease; fragmented QRS; meta-analysis; mortality