The Prognostic Significance of Ventricular Arrhythmias After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Is It Independent of Left Ventricular Function?

Ventricular arrhythmias in the convalescent phase of acute myocardial infarction are associated with an increased risk for cardiac death after hospital discharge, but whether ventricular arrhythmias exert this increased mortality risk independent of left ventricular function is not known. In order to answer this question we performed 24-h ambulatory (Holter) ECG recordings in patients two weeks after acute myocardial infarction, and analyzed the outcome with regard to both Holter arrhythmias and measures of left ventricular function. We found that both ventricular arrhythmias and left ventricular function are important determinants of survival following acute myocardial infarction, and that each exerts an independent risk force in the year after hospital discharge.