Evaluation of electrocardiographic markers of cardiac arrhythmic events and their correlation with cardiac iron overload in patients with beta-thalassemia major


Demircan T., Onder Sivis Z., Tatli Gunes B., KARADENİZ C.

CARDIOLOGY IN THE YOUNG, sa.11, ss.1666-1671, 2020 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1017/s1047951120002498
  • Dergi Adı: CARDIOLOGY IN THE YOUNG
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1666-1671
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Thalassemia, iron overload, red blood cells, electrocardiography, MAGNETIC-RESONANCE, QT DISPERSION, INTERVAL, HEART, DIAGNOSIS, INDEX
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

Iron overload is associated with an increased risk of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Data regarding the relationship between electrocardiographic parameters of atrial depolarisation and ventricular repolarisation with cardiac T2* MRI are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to investigate these electrocardiographic parameters and their relationship with cardiac T2* value in patients with beta-thalassemia major. In this prospective study, 52 patients with beta-thalassemia major and 52 age- and gender-matched healthy patients were included. Electrocardiographic measurements of QT, T peak to end interval, and P wave intervals were performed by one cardiologist who was blind to patients' data. All patients underwent MRI for cardiac T2* evaluation. Cardiac T2* scores less than 20 ms were considered as iron overload. P wave dispersion, QTc interval, and the dispersions of QT and QTc were significantly prolonged in beta-thalassemia major patients compared to controls. Interestingly, we found prolonged P waves, QT and T peak to end dispersions, T peak to end intervals, and increased T peak to end/QT ratios in patients with T2* greater than 20 ms. No significant correlation was observed between electrocardiographic parameters and cardiac T2* values and plasma ferritin levels. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that atrial depolarisation and ventricular repolarisation parameters are affected in beta-thalassemia major patients and that these parameters are not correlated with cardiac iron load.