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Don Poldermans

Publications and source records attributed to Don Poldermans.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Statins in the prevention of perioperative cardiovascular complications.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This is a review of recent experimental and clinical evidence for the use of perioperative statins to reduce cardiovascular complications. RECENT FINDINGS: Clinical trials have demonstrated an improved survival of statin users in the perioperative period. This beneficial effect of statins is ascribed to the non-lipid lowering effect to stabilize vulnerable plaques, thereby preventing myocardial ischaemia and infarction. The proposed mechanism of this cardioprotective effect is by the anti-inflammatory properties of statins. The fear of adverse perioperative effects of statin use, i.e. rhabdomyolysis, has not been confirmed in clinical studies. SUMMARY: The anti-inflammatory properties of statins appear to have an important effect on coronary plaque stabilization in the perioperative setting, resulting in a reduction in perioperative cardiovascular complications.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Post-systolic shortening during dobutamine stress echocardiography predicts cardiac survival in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction and myocardial viability by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) or F18-fluorodeoxyglucose-single-photon emission computed tomography (FDG-SPECT), experience improved survival after coronary revascularization. Pulsed wave-tissue Doppler imaging (PW-TDI)-derived ejection phase shortening (EPS) and post-systolic shortening (PSS) velocities may help to quantify DSE. We assessed these variables in a prospective long-term follow-up. METHODS: Eighty patients (58 men, mean age 63+/-9 years) with left ventricular dysfunction (radionuclide ventriculography mean ejection fraction, 34+/-11%) underwent both DSE and FDG-SPECT for myocardial viability. Viable myocardium was improvement from rest to low dose or worsening of wall motion at peak DSE and normal perfusion, mildly reduced perfusion with FDG uptake or severely reduced or absent perfusion with increased FDG uptake (mismatch) at FDG-SPECT. EPS, PSS velocities and EPS/PSS ratio during DSE were analysed using a six-segment model. Coronary revascularization bypass grafting was performed in 62 patients. All patients completed a long-term (9-year) follow-up for cardiac death. RESULTS: The segmental prevalence of severe dyssynergy was 77%. On a patient basis myocardial viability was detected by EPS/PSS ratio (31%), FDG-SPECT (34%) and DSE (26%). A significant improvement of Kaplan-Meier survival was predicted in viable compared with nonviable revascularized patients (P < 0.01). Both EPS/PSS ratio and FDG-SPECT, compared to DSE alone, tended to allocate more accurately univariate prediction of death-free outcome (odds ratio, 2.5 and 2.7 compared with 2.1). CONCLUSIONS: TDI adds objective variables to DSE, helping to recognize viable myocardium and optimize prediction of death-free outcome in long-term follow-up, with favorable comparison with nuclear techniques.

Cardiomyopathies↗
PubMed2005

Long-term prognostic value of ejection fraction changes during dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), using subjective wall motion scoring, provides incremental prognostic information over clinical data. The aim of the study was to test the additional prognostic value of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) changes during DSE at different stages. METHODS: The study population comprised 106 consecutive patients (mean age 60+/-11 years, 73% men) with suspected or known coronary artery disease referred for DSE. Stress-induced ischemia was defined as new or worsening wall motion abnormalities. LVEF was measured at rest, peak stress and recovery. Follow-up was successful in 104 (98%) patients. Four patients who underwent revascularization within 60 days were excluded from the analysis. End-points during follow-up were cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and late revascularization. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 5.3+/-2.1 years, 26% of patients died: 13% due to cardiac death, 6% patients experienced non-fatal myocardial infarction and 38% underwent late revascularization. Rest-to-peak LVEF increase was lower in patients who experienced cardiac death or non-fatal myocardial infarction (4.9+/-8.6 compared with 9.2+/-7.5, P=0.04) and any cardiac events (6.0+/-8.5 compared with 10.5+/-6.7, P=0.004). An inverse correlation was found between left ventricular ejection increase and the number of ischemic segments (P<0.0001). A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model demonstrated that, in addition to clinical data and new wall motion abnormalities, lower LVEF increase had an incremental prognostic value in predicting hard cardiac events (hazard ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.2). CONCLUSION: Failure of LVEF to significantly increase during DSE, denoting more extensive ischemia, identifies a higher-risk subgroup for late cardiac events.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

The use of stress echocardiography for prognostication in coronary artery disease: an overview.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Stress echocardiography has a high accuracy for the detection of coronary artery disease. Additionally, it provides clinically useful prognostic information, such as resting left ventricular function, myocardial viability, stress-induced ischemia, vascular extent of wall motion abnormalities, and changes in end-systolic volume and ejection fraction with stress. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: The timing, extent, and severity of the stress-induced wall motion abnormalities are important determinants of long-term prognosis. Previous studies have shown the efficacy of stress echocardiography in predicting long-term cardiac events in mixed patient groups and the value of this test in selected patient subsets. SUMMARY: This review attempts to define the role of stress echocardiography for prognostication in coronary artery disease, pointing out the ability of this technique to identify low-risk and high-risk subsets among patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease and thus guide patient management decisions.

Coronary Artery Disease↗
PubMed2005

Simultaneous echocardiography and myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography associated with dobutamine stress to predict long-term cardiac mortality in normotensive and hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND: Echocardiography and myocardial scintigraphy associated with dobutamine stress are used for assessing risk in coronary artery disease. We compared the accuracy of the two modalities applied simultaneously for predicting long-term cardiac mortality in normotensive and hypertensive patients. METHODS: Three hundred and fifty-one consecutive patients underwent dobutamine stress with simultaneous echocardiography and Tc-sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Fifty patients underwent early (<60 days) revascularization and were excluded; the analysis is based on 301 patients (131 hypertensives and 170 normotensives). RESULTS: The prevalence of additional risk factors, heart failure, prior myocardial infarction and prior revascularization was similar in the two groups of patients. An abnormal stress echocardiogram was detected in 101 (59%) normotensives and 80 (61%) hypertensives (NS), while 113 (66%) normotensives and 83 (63%) hypertensives (NS) showed abnormal myocardial perfusion. The agreement was 81% (kappa = 0.59) in hypertensives and 82% (kappa = 0.62) in normotensives. During 7.3 +/- 2.8 years of follow-up, 17 (13%) hypertensives and 26 (15%) normotensives died from cardiac causes (P = 0.62). In normotensives, the annual mortality rate was 0.8 for normal echo and 1.3 for normal scan, 2.8 for abnormal echo and 2.6 for abnormal scan. In hypertensives, it was 0.5 for normal echo, 0% for normal scan, 2.6 for abnormal echo and 2.8 for abnormal scan. Each test was associated with higher survival in the case of negative compared to positive results in both normotensive and hypertensive patients (log-rank chi-square 16.4, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Dobutamine stress echocardiography and SPECT are equally effective in predicting long-term cardiac death in both normotensive and hypertensive patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Prognostic stratification using dobutamine stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion SPECT in elderly patients unable to perform exercise testing.

UNLABELLED: Information on the prognostic value of noninvasive stress imaging techniques in the elderly is relatively scarce. This study assessed the prognostic value of dobutamine stress (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin SPECT for the prediction of mortality and cardiac events in elderly patients. METHODS: Clinical information and SPECT results were analyzed for 272 consecutive patients > or = 65 y old (mean age, 71 +/- 5 y; range, 65-87 y) with limited exercise capacity. Follow-up was complete in 270 patients (99.3%); 23 underwent revascularization within 60 d of the scintigraphy and were excluded. Abnormal findings were defined as the presence of a fixed or reversible perfusion defect. A summed stress score was obtained to estimate the extent and severity of perfusion defects. The incremental prognostic value of SPECT over clinical data was evaluated according to 3 multivariate models, which included any SPECT abnormality, the presence of a fixed or reversible defect, and the summed stress score. RESULTS: During the follow-up (3.3 +/- 1.4 y), 59 patients died (29 cardiac deaths), 16 had a nonfatal infarction, and 49 underwent late revascularization. Abnormal scan findings were present for 140 patients (57%). The annual event rates for total mortality, cardiac death, and cardiac death or nonfatal infarction were, respectively, 3.2%, 0.2%, and 0.7% when scan findings were normal and, respectively, 9.5%, 4.3%, and 8% when scan findings were abnormal (all P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that abnormal scan findings, the presence of a fixed or reversible defect, and the summed stress score provided incremental prognostic information over clinical data. The presence of abnormal scan findings was independently associated with an increased risk for total mortality, cardiac death, and cardiac death or nonfatal infarction (respectively, hazard ratio 3.4 [95% CI, 1.8-6.5], 12.1 [95% CI, 2.9-51.5], and 9.0 [95% CI, 2.8-29.6]). CONCLUSION: Dobutamine stress (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin SPECT provides incremental prognostic information for the prediction of total mortality and cardiac events in elderly patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Association of ischemia on stress (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging with all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus.

UNLABELLED: Stress myocardial perfusion imaging is a useful method for evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with diabetes mellitus. However, its role in predicting all-cause mortality is not well defined. The aim of this study was to determine whether myocardial ischemia on stress myocardial perfusion imaging can predict all causes of death in patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: We studied 297 patients with diabetes mellitus and known or suspected CAD by exercise or dobutamine stress (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion tomographic imaging. Ischemia was defined as reversible perfusion abnormalities. The endpoints were death from any cause and hard cardiac events (cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction). RESULTS: An abnormal scan was detected in 179 (60%) patients. Myocardial perfusion abnormalities were fixed in 76 (26%) patients and were reversible in 103 (35%) patients. During a mean follow-up of 6 +/- 2.1 y, 80 (27%) patients died. Nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred in 14 (5%) patients. The annual mortality rate was 2.5% in patients with normal perfusion, 4.5% in patients with fixed defects, and 6% in patients with ischemia. The annual cardiac death rate was 4.2% in patients with ischemia and 2.6% in patients with fixed defects. In patients with normal perfusion, the annual cardiac death rate was 0.9% during the 5 y after the stress test. In a Cox multivariate analysis model, predictors of death were age, history of heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, and reversible perfusion defects. CONCLUSION: Myocardial ischemia on stress (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality during long-term follow-up among patients with diabetes mellitus. Patients with normal perfusion have a lower mortality rate and may require less frequent follow-up stress perfusion imaging.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed2005

Risk stratification of patients with angina pectoris by stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging.

UNLABELLED: Angina pectoris is a major symptom associated with myocardial ischemia. The aim of this study was to find whether stress myocardial perfusion imaging can independently predict mortality in patients with angina. METHODS: We studied 455 patients with stable angina pectoris by exercise or dobutamine stress (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion tomographic imaging. An abnormal finding was defined as a reversible or fixed perfusion abnormality. The endpoint during follow-up was death from any cause. RESULTS: Mean age was 60+/-10 y. There were 266 men (58% of the patients). Myocardial perfusion was normal in 137 patients (30%). Perfusion abnormalities were reversible in 167 patients and fixed in 151 patients. During a mean follow-up of 6+/-1.7 y, 93 patients (20%) died. The annual mortality rate was 1.5% in patients with normal perfusion and 4.5% in patients with abnormal perfusion. Patients with a multivessel distribution of perfusion abnormalities had a higher annual death rate than patients with abnormalities in a single-vessel distribution (5.1% vs. 3.7%). In a multivariate analysis model, independent predictors of death were age (risk ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.08), the male sex (risk ratio, 2.1; CI, 1.3-3.4), diabetes (risk ratio, 2.2; CI, 1.4-3.5), heart failure (risk ratio, 2.7; CI, 1.6-4.5), smoking (risk ratio, 1.7; CI, 1.1-2.6), reversible perfusion abnormalities (risk ratio, 1.9; CI, 1.1-2.8), and fixed perfusion abnormalities (risk ratio, 2; CI, 1.2-3.1). CONCLUSION: Stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging provides independent information for predicting mortality in patients with stable angina pectoris. Both reversible and fixed defects are associated with an increased risk of death. The extent of stress perfusion abnormalities is a major determinant of mortality. Patients with normal perfusion have a low mortality rate during long-term follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Opposite patterns of left ventricular remodeling after coronary revascularization in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy: role of myocardial viability.

BACKGROUND: In patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, left ventricular (LV) remodeling is an important prognostic indicator. The precise relation between viable myocardium, revascularization, and ongoing or reversed remodeling is unknown and was evaluated in the present study. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 100 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography to assess myocardial viability and LV geometry (volumes and shape). At a mean of 10.2 months and 4.5 years after revascularization, resting echocardiography was repeated to evaluate LV remodeling. Long-term follow-up (mean 5+/-2 years) data were obtained. According to dobutamine stress echocardiography, 44 patients (44%) were defined as viable (> or =4 viable segments) and 56 as nonviable. After revascularization, 40 patients (43%) had ongoing LV remodeling and 53 (57%) did not (in 7 patients who died early after revascularization, postoperative echocardiographic evaluation was not available). On multivariable analysis, the number of viable segments was the only predictor of ongoing LV remodeling (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.75; P<0.0001). The likelihood of LV remodeling decreased as the number of viable segments increased. During the follow-up, reverse remodeling was present in viable patients, whereas in nonviable patients, LV volumes significantly increased, which indicates ongoing LV remodeling. At follow-up, viable patients also showed a persistent improvement of heart failure symptoms and fewer cardiac events than nonviable patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, a substantial amount of viable myocardium prevents ongoing LV remodeling after revascularization and is associated with persistent improvement of symptoms and better outcome.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Prognostic stratification of patients with right bundle branch block using dobutamine stress echocardiography.

The presence of a right bundle branch block (RBBB) is associated with increased mortality. We studied the role of dobutamine stress echocardiography for the prognostic stratification of patients with RBBB. The presence of an abnormal dobutamine stress echocardiography was the strongest predictor of cardiac events and provided incremental prognostic information to clinical and stress test data.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Comparison of long-term effect of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy with viable versus nonviable left ventricular myocardium.

In this study, 63% of patients with a substantial amount of viable myocardium showed an increased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 12 +/- 3 months after coronary artery bypass grafting. In 93% of these patients, increased LVEF persisted at 4.5 +/- 1 years of follow-up. Conversely, in nonviable patients, LVEF did not increase at 12 +/- 3 months or at follow-up of 4.5 +/- 1 years.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

Prognostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography in patients with systemic hypertension and known or suspected coronary artery disease.

Currently, there are no outcome data to suggest an incremental value of stress echocardiography in the risk stratification of patients who have hypertension after controlling for the left ventricular mass index (LVMI). This study assessed the incremental value of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) for the prediction of mortality rate and cardiac events in patients who have hypertension. We studied 596 patients who had hypertension (mean age 62 +/- 12 years; 382 men) and who underwent DSE for evaluation of known or suspected coronary artery disease. End points during follow-up were hard cardiac events (cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction) and total mortality rate. Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected by echocardiography in 119 patients (20%). During a median follow-up of 3 years, 101 patients (17%) died (43 cardiac deaths) and 19 patients had nonfatal myocardial infarction. In an incremental multivariate analysis model, clinical predictors of hard cardiac events were age, history of congestive heart failure, and LVMI. The percentage of abnormal myocardial segments examined with DSE was incremental to the clinical model (chi square 41 vs 27, p <0.001). Clinical predictors of total mortality rate were age, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, history of congestive heart failure, and LVMI. The peak wall motion score index was incremental to the clinical model (chi square 45 vs 40, p <0.05). DSE provides incremental data for the prediction of mortality rate and hard cardiac events in patients who have hypertension after adjustment for clinical data and LVMI.

Cardiotonic Agents↗
PubMed2004

Extensive left ventricular remodeling does not allow viable myocardium to improve in left ventricular ejection fraction after revascularization and is associated with worse long-term prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Extensive left ventricular (LV) remodeling may not allow functional recovery after revascularization, despite the presence of viable myocardium. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-nine consecutive patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (left ventricle ejection fraction [LVEF] 29+/-7%) underwent surgical revascularization. Before revascularization, viability was assessed by metabolic imaging with F18-fluorodeoxyglucose and SPECT. LV volumes and LVEF were assessed by resting echocardiography. LVEF was re-assessed by echocardiography 8 to 12 months after revascularization. Three-year clinical follow-up (events: cardiac death, infarction, and hospitalization for heart failure) was also obtained. Forty-nine patients had substantial viability; 5 died before re-assessment of LVEF. Of the remaining 44 patients, 24 improved > or =5% in LVEF after revascularization, whereas 20 did not improve in LVEF. LV end-systolic volume was the only parameter that was significantly different between the groups (109+/-46 mL for the improvers versus 141+/-31 mL for the nonimprovers; P<0.05). The change in LVEF after revascularization was linearly related to the baseline LV end-systolic volume, with a higher LV end-systolic volume associated with a low likelihood of improvement in LVEF after revascularization. During the 3-year follow-up, the highest event-rate (67%) was observed in patients without viable myocardium with a large LV size, whereas the lowest event rate (5%) was observed in patients with viable myocardium and a small LV size. Intermediate event rates were observed in patients with viable myocardium and a large LV size (38%), and in patients without viable myocardium and a small LV size (24%). CONCLUSIONS: Extensive LV remodeling prohibits improvement in LVEF after revascularization and affects long-term prognosis negatively, despite the presence of viability.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Differential prognostic significance of peri-infarction versus remote myocardial ischemia on stress technetium-99m sestamibi tomography in patients with healed myocardial infarction.

Peri-infarction and remote myocardial ischemia involve different myocardial substrates, but their differential clinical implications have not been previously studied. We assessed the differential prognostic significance of peri-infarction and remote ischemia during long-term follow-up in patients with healed myocardial infarction. We studied 345 patients (59 +/- 12 years old; 282 men) with previous myocardial infarction who demonstrated reversible perfusion abnormalities on exercise or dobutamine stress technetium-99m sestamibi tomography. Follow-up events for 5.5 +/- 2.6 years were 60 deaths (17%; 40 cardiac deaths) and 25 reinfarctions (7%). Reversible perfusion abnormalities were detected in the remote region in 129 patients (37%), the peri-infarction region in 142 patients (41%), and in both regions in 74 patients (21%). The annual rates of cardiac death in these groups were 1.2%, 2.8%, and 2.9%, respectively (p <0.01). The annual rates of reinfarction were 1%, 1.5%, and 0.9%, respectively (p = NS). In a multivariate analysis model, independent predictors of cardiac death were history of heart failure (risk ratio [RR] 2.8, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.2 to 7), diabetes mellitus (RR 4.1, 95% CI 1.9 to 8.9), summed score at rest (RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.1), and peri-infarction ischemia (RR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 6.1). Predictors of reinfarction were age (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.07) and diabetes mellitus (RR 3.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 9.1). Peri-infarction ischemia assessed by stress technetium-99m sestamibi tomography is associated with a greater risk of cardiac death than is remote ischemia. The risk of reinfarction is not related to the location of ischemia.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Long-term prognostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography compared with myocardial perfusion scanning in patients unable to perform exercise tests.

PURPOSE: To compare the long-term prognostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography and dobutamine stress single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients unable to perform an exercise test. METHODS: We assessed the prognostic value of dobutamine stress technetium 99m ((99m)Tc)-sestamibi SPECT and dobutamine stress echocardiography in 301 patients who were unable to perform exercise tests. Outcomes during a mean (+/- SD) follow-up of 7.3 +/- 2.8 years were overall death, cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and late (>60 days) coronary revascularization. RESULTS: Abnormal myocardial perfusion was detected in 66% of patients (n = 198), while 60% (n = 182) had an abnormal stress echocardiogram; agreement was 82% (kappa = 0.62). During the follow-up period, 100 deaths (33%) occurred, of which 43% were due to cardiac causes. Nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred in 23 patients (8%), and 29 (10%) underwent late revascularization. With stress SPECT, annual event rates were 0.7% for cardiac death and 3.6% for all cardiac events after a normal scan, and 2.6% for cardiac death and 6.5% for all cardiac events after an abnormal scan (P <0.0001). For stress echocardiography, annual event rates were 0.6% for cardiac death and 3.3% for all cardiac events after a normal test, and 2.8% for cardiac death and 6.9% for all cardiac events after an abnormal test (P <0.0001). CONCLUSION: Dobutamine stress (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT and dobutamine stress echocardiography provide comparable long-term prognostic information in addition to that afforded by clinical data.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

A clinical and echocardiographic score for assigning risk of major events after dobutamine echocardiograms.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to develop and validate a risk score combining both clinical and dobutamine echocardiographic (DbE) features in 4890 patients who underwent DbE at three expert laboratories and were followed for death or myocardial infarction for up to five years. BACKGROUND: In contrast to exercise scores, no score exists to combine clinical, stress, and echocardiographic findings with DbE. METHODS: Dobutamine echocardiography was performed for evaluation of known or suspected coronary artery disease in 3156 patients at two sites in the U.S. After exclusion of patients with incomplete follow-up, 1456 DbEs were randomly selected to develop a multivariate model for prediction of events. After simplification of each model for clinical use, the models were internally validated in the remaining DbE patients in the same series and externally validated in 1733 patients in an independent series. RESULTS: The following score was derived from regression models in the modeling group (160 events): DbE risk = (age.0.02) + (heart failure + rate-pressure product <15000).0.4 + (ischemia + scar).0.6. The presence of each variable was scored as 1 and its absence scored as 0, except for age (continuous variable). Using cutoff values of 1.2 and 2.6, patients were classified into groups with five-year event-free survivals >95%, 75% to 95%, and <75%. Application of the score in the internal validation group (265 events) gave equivalent results, as did its application in the external validation group (494 events, C index = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS: A risk score based on clinical and echocardiographic data may be used to quantify the risk of events in patients undergoing DbE.

Cardiotonic Agents↗
PubMed2004

QT dispersion correlates to myocardial viability assessed by dobutamine stress echocardiography in patients with severely depressed left ventricular function due to coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: QT dispersion is prolonged in numerous cardiac diseases, representing a general repolarization abnormality. AIM: To evaluate the influence of viable myocardium on QT dispersion in patients with severely depressed left ventricular (LV) function due to coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: 103 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (LV ejection fraction [EF]: 25+/-6%) were studied. Patients underwent 12-lead electrocardiography to assess QT dispersion, and two-dimensional echocardiography to identify segmental dysfunction. Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) was then performed to detect residual viability. Resting echo demonstrated 1260 dysfunctional segments; of these, 476 (38%) were viable. Substantial viability (> or =4 viable segments on DSE) was found in 62 (60%) patients. QT dispersion was lower in these patients, than in patients without viability (55+/-17 ms vs. 65+/-22 ms, P=0.012). Viable segments negatively correlated to QT dispersion (r=-0.333, P=0.001). In contrast, there was no correlation between LVEF and QT dispersion (r=-0.001, P=NS). CONCLUSIONS: There is a negative correlation between QT dispersion and the number of viable segments assessed by DSE. Patients with severely depressed LV function and a low QT dispersion probably have a substantial amount of viable tissue. Conversely, when QT dispersion is high, the likelihood of substantial viability is reduced.

Cardiomyopathies↗