Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the QT dispersion in
elderly endurance athletes with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Sixteen
athletes (males, mean age 67.6 ± 4.5 years) with mild to
moderate LV hypertrophy, were compared with 16 age-matched hypertensive
patients with similar degree of LV hypertrophy and 16 age-matched healthy
sedentary controls. All the participants underwent echocardiogram and 12-lead
electrocardiogram. QT dispersion was defined as the difference between maximum
and minimum QT intervals in the different leads. QT dispersion was corrected
(QTc) for heart rate according to Bazett's formula. The results showed in
athletes and hypertensive patients comparable LV mass
(258.2 ± 14.2 vs.
262.4 ± 16.8 g, ns), which was significantly higher
than that of controls (p < 0.001). Trained subjects had QT
dispersion (38.6 ± 10.2 ms) and QTc dispersion
(39.4 ± 11.3 ms) significantly lower than
hypertensive patients (QT dispersion:
68.4 ± 11.4 ms; QTc dispersion:
72.2 ± 8.4, p < 0.001) and comparable
with controls (QT dispersion: 44.3 ± 8.4 ms; QTc
dispersion: 46.2 ± 6.2 ms, ns). In conclusion, in
elderly athletes training-induced myocardial hypertrophy was characterized by a
QT dispersion significantly lower than hypertensive myocardial hypertrophy.
This could provide a simple and inexpensive screening method for
differentiating physiologic from pathologic myocardial hypertrophy in elderly
subjects.
Key words
QT dispersion - left ventricular hypertrophy - elderly athletes
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Dr. F. Galetta
Department of Internal Medicine · University of Pisa School
of Medicine
Via Roma 67 · 56126 Pisa · Italy ·
Phone: +39-050-993373
Fax: +39-050-553414
Email: fgaletta@med.unipi.it
