Serial analysis in the ECG-ILSA database: study of longitudinal modifications

The serial analysis considering the ECG-ILSA database (Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging) has been performed in order to evaluate longitudinal modifications of electrocardiographic parameters and clinical data. The group of 901 patients present both in t/sub 1/ and t/sub 2/ (t/sub 2/=t/sub 1/+5 years) has been considered. Three sets of patients (mutually exclusives) have been selected from clinical information: healthy patients, patients with only cardiac diseases and with only hypertension. Standard ECG parameters, including two QT dispersion indices, have been used for the study of longitudinal modifications. The study has confirmed the cross-sectional observation made in t/sub 1/ (increases of PQ duration, QRS duration and of the angle between QRS and T); the QT dispersion increases significantly from t/sub 1/ to t/sub 2/ in the hypertension group, suggesting a development towards or an increase of a cardiac pathology, for example left ventricular hypertrophy.