ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which
is characterized by persistent airflow restriction and respiratory
symptoms. Studies demonstrated that cardiac arrhythmias, cardiovascular
mortality and cardiac death increased in these patients due to altered
myocardial repolarization. Frontal QRS-T angle is a novel marker of
myocardial depolarization and repolarization heterogeneity. In this
study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between frontal QRS-T
angle and COPD severity in patients with newly diagnosed COPD.
Methods: A total of 104 newly diagnosed COPD patients without
any significant comorbidities were included in this study. Patients were
divided into two groups according to GOLD stage as follows: patients
with mild and moderate COPD (group I) and severe and very severe COPD
(group II). Frontal QRS-T angle was calculated from the automatic report
of the electrocardiography device .
Results: Frontal QRS-T angle was significantly higher in group
II patients compared to in group I patients (43.0 [25.5-60.0] vs.
20.0 [12.0-32.0], P < 0.001). The best cut-off value of
frontal QRS-T angle for predicting severe-very severe COPD was ≥ 34.5°.
Correlation analysis showed that frontal QRS-T angle was negatively
correlated with FEV1/FVC (r = –0.524, P < 0.001) and MEF25-75
(r = –0.453, P < 0.001). In linear regression analysis, It
was found that MEF25-75 (β: –0.593, P = 0.006) was the only independent
predictor of the frontal QRS-T angle.
Conclusions: Frontal QRS-T angle, an easily obtainable marker
form surface electrocardiography. In this study, we have shown for the
first time that frontal QRS-T angle was significantly increased in
patients with severe and very severe COPD.
Keywords: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Disease
severity; Myocardial repolarization; Frontal QRS-T angle.