Spatial QRS-T angle : association with diabetes and left ventricular performance

Background  The spatial QRS-T angle obtained by vectorcardiography is a combined measurement of the electrical activity of the heart and predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Disturbances in repolarization and depolarization are common in diabetes. No data, however, exist on the effect of diabetes on QRS-T angle. In this study we examined differences in QRS-T angle between type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic subjects; in addition, the potential relationship between QRS-T angle and left ventricular performance as well as glycaemic control were also examined. Patients and methods  A total of 74 subjects with type 2 diabetes and 74 non-diabetic individuals, matched for age and sex with the diabetic subjects were examined. All subjects were free of clinically apparent macrovascular complications. Spatial vectorcardiogaphic descriptors of ventricular depolarization and repolarization were reconstructed from the 12-electrocardiographic leads using a computer-based electrocardiogram. Left ventricular mass and performance were measured using M-mode and Doppler echocardiography. Results  QRS-T angle values were higher (by almost 2-fold) in the diabetic in comparison with the non-diabetic subjects (P < 0·001). After multivariate adjustment, QRS-T angle was independently associated with age (P = 0·01), HbA1c (P = 0·003), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P = 0·04) in the non-diabetic, and with HbA1c (P = 0·03) as well as Tei index (P = 0·003) in the diabetic subjects. Conclusions  The spatial QRS-T angle is high in subjects with type 2 diabetes and is associated with glycaemic control and left ventricular performance. The prognostic importance of the higher spQRS-T angle values in subjects with diabetes remains to be evaluated in prospective studies.