Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesResearch article
Inflammatory Biomarkers and Electrocardiogram (ECG) Repolarization Metrics
- Cox proportional hazards and linear regression models
- core lab-adjudicated ECGs
- baseline biomarkers
Authors' conclusion
Inflammatory biomarkers, particularly hsCRP, are independently associated with SCD in patients with HFrEF and provide prognostic value beyond ECG parameters. These findings suggest that inflammation likely contributes to SCD risk through pathways distinct from repolarization prolongation. Biomarkers such as hsCRP may be useful to incorporate into risk stratification.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and recent decompensation in the VICTORIA trialpatients with core lab-adjudicated ECGs and baseline biomarkers
- Participants
- 4,391 patients
- Comparison
- Inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6, growth differentiation factor-15, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)) and ECG repolarization intervals (QTc, JTc) in relation to sudden cardiac death (SCD)
Main finding
SCD by JTc interval
Hazard ratio
0.97 per 10 ms
95% CI 0.94–1.00
P = 0.043
Per 10 ms, as printed
As reported in the abstract
Further findings
| Outcome | HR (per doubling) | P value |
|---|---|---|
| SCD by inflammatory biomarkers · multivariable models | 1.20 | P < 0.001 |
SCD by inflammatory biomarkers
- All 3 biomarkers associated with increased SCD risk in univariable analysis; only hsCRP remained significant in multivariable models
QTc and JTc intervals by growth differentiation factor-15
- Growth differentiation factor-15 independently associated with QTc and JTc intervals
Prognostic value added to covariate-adjusted JTc interval model
- hsCRP provided the greatest prognostic value (new information)
- 16%
- P
- P < 0.001
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it