Evaluation of electrocardiographic ventricular repolarization parameters in stable coronary artery disease

Aim: To examine the relationship between the SYNTAX score (SS) and cardiac repolarization parameters such as cQTd and Tp-e values, and Tp-e/QT, Tp-e/JT, Tp-e/QTc, and Tp-e/JTc ratios in patients who have stable angina pectoris. Methods: 12-lead resting electrocardiograms (ECGs) and SS of 160 patients (51 female and 109 male) undergoing coronary angiography with the pre-diagnosis of stable angina pectoris were evaluated. Patients with a SS below 22 were classified as Group 1 (low-SYNTAX), and those above 22 (high-SYNTAX) as Group 2. Forty-four patients with normal coronary angiography were included in Group 3. Results: Mean age of the patients was 62.4±9.1 years. The heart rate, QRS, QT, cQT and JT durations between the groups were similar. In addition, relatively recent ventricular repolarization indices such as Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT, Tp-e/JT, Tp-e/QTc, and Tp-e/JTc ratios were also not substantially different between groups. Conclusion: Several surface ECG predictors of ventricular arrhythmias, including QTd, JT and Tp-e intervals and their ratios to QT and JT, are not significantly correlated with SYNTAX score-assessed CAD severity in patients with stable angina pectoris.