Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Associations between specific non-sustained ventricular tachycardia characteristics and sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Retrospective cohort study
- multicentre
Authors' conclusion
A short second coupling interval of NSVT poses a higher SCD risk in HCM than a long one.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy assessed by 24-hour Holter recordings for non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) and its characteristics2,584 analysed
- Participants
- 2,625 patients
- Exposure
- NSVT with second coupling interval <394 ms or ≥394 ms vs no NSVT
- Outcome
- SCD
- Follow-up
- Median 4.4 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Hazard ratio
8.36
95% CI 4.33–16.12
P < 0.001
Second coupling interval < 394 ms vs No NSVT
HR 8.36 (95% CI 4.33–16.12); P < 0.001
- Sudden cardiac death (SCDs) overall
- 64 (2.5%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | HR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CV death | 3.64 (2.07–6.37) | P < 0.001 | |
| All-cause death | 3.26 (1.97–5.41) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.10.31310Hazard ratio (log scale) |
- CV death — CV deaths overall
- 159 (6.2%)
- All-cause death — All-cause deaths overall
- 221 (8.6%)
NSVT occurrence
- NSVT occurred
- 320 (12.4%)
NSVT frequency and duration
- Not prognostic
SCD risk algorithms
- Replacing NSVT with malignant NSVT significantly improved SCD risk algorithms
Original publication
Associations between specific non-sustained ventricular tachycardia characteristics and sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Europace. Published 17 September 2026. doi:10.1093/europace/euag034
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it