Effect of nebivolol on QT dispersion in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.

Abstract Hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have increased QT dispersion, which is considered an early indicator of end-organ damage and a non-invasive marker of risk for clinically important ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of nebivolol antihypertensive therapy on QT dispersion in hypertensive subjects. Twenty-five subjects (15 men and 10 women, mean age 53.6 ± 4.5 years) with essential arterial hypertension and mild-to-moderate LVH (blood pressure: 147.2 ± 6.2/90.6 ± 3.8 mmHg; left ventricular mass indexed: 149.1 ± 10.7 g/m 2 ) were compared with 25 age-matched healthy control subjects. All the participants underwent a complete clinical examination, including electrocardiogram for QT interval measurements. The QT dispersion was defined as the difference between the longest and the shortest QT interval occurring in the 12-lead electrocardiogram. The QT dispersion was corrected (QTc) with Bazett’s formula. Hypertensive subjects were treated with 5 mg daily of nebivolol. The ECG and echocardiogram were repeated after four weeks of treatment. At baseline, hypertensive patients showed QT dispersion (56.9 ± 6.4 vs. 31.7 ± 8.4 ms, P P P P 2 , ns). Nebivolol-based treatment improved QT dispersion (56.9 ± 6.4 vs. 40.5 ± 5.8 ms, P P P