title: Prevalence of Electrocardiographic Patterns Associated With Sudden Cardiac Death in the Spanish Population Aged 40 Years or Older. Results of the OFRECE Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some electrocardiographic patterns are associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular arrhythmias. There is no information on the prevalence of these patterns in the general population in Spain. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of these patterns and associated clinical and epidemiological factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This subanalysis of the OFRECE study selected a representative sample of the Spanish population aged ≥ 40 years. We studied the presence or absence of electrocardiographic patterns of Brugada syndrome and QT interval abnormalities. Clinical data and electrocardiograms were available in all participants. Electrocardiograms were evaluated by 2 cardiologists and a third cardiologist was consulted if there was disagreement in the diagnosis. We calculated the weighted prevalence and clinical factors associated with the presence of Brugada-type patterns or QT segment abnormalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 8343 individuals were evaluated (59.2 years, 52.4% female). There were 12 Brugada cases (type 1, 2 cases; type 2, 10 cases; weighted prevalence, 0.13%). For corrected QT (QTc) analysis, we excluded participants with left bundle branch block or without sinus rhythm. Weighted prevalences were as follows: short QTc (< 340ms) 0.18%, borderline QTc (441-469ms) 8.33%, long QTc (≥ 470ms criterion) 1.01% and long QTc (≥ 480 criterion) 0.42%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A total of 0.6% to 1.1% of the Spanish population aged ≥ 40 years has an electrocardiographic pattern associated with a higher risk of sudden death (Brugada syndrome, long QT, or short QT).
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Getafe, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: paulaawamleh@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Awamleh García
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Getafe, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquín Jesús
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Alonso Martín
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graupner Abad
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jiménez Hernández
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curcio Ruigómez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Talavera Calle
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cristóbal Varela
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Serrano Antolín
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud e Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muñiz
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gómez Doblas
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eulalia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Long QT syndrome; Muerte súbita; Sudden death; Síndrome de QT largo; Tachyarrhythmias; Taquiarritmias