Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Low QRS voltages and left ventricular hypertrophy: a risky association
Authors' conclusion
LQRSV are relatively common (11%) in HCM and have clinical relevance, being predictive over a medium term for a worsening functional class, incidence of stroke, and ICD implant. Instead, LQRSV are rare (2.3%) in athletes but may occasionally be a marker that raises suspicion for underlying cardiac disease at risk.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Olympic athletes (LV hypertrophy)
- Participants
- 197 vs 771
- Exposure
- Low QRS voltages (LQRSV) vs non-LQRSV in HCM and in athletes
- HCMn = 197
- Athletesn = 771
- Outcome
- Prevalence and clinical correlates of LQRSV
Methodological detailsconsecutive patients
- Consecutive patients
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of LQRSV
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
HCM at initial evaluation: LQRSV vs non-LQRSV
- New York Heart Association (NYHA) Classes I and II: 90% vs 91%
- P = 0.983
- Symptoms: 27% vs 18%
- P = 0.478
- Ventricular arrhythmias: 40% vs 39%
- P = 857
- Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) extent at cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR): 4.1 ± 1.5 vs 1.5 ± 0.7 affected segments
- P < 0.001
Athletes: LQRSV vs non-LQRSV
- Inverted T-waves: 22% vs 9%
- P < 0.001
- Ventricular arrhythmias: 28% vs 8%
- P = 0.005
- Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy identified in LQRSV athletes
- 1
HCM follow-up outcomes: LQRSV vs non-LQRSV · 4.5 ± 2.6-year follow-up
- Functional deterioration: 31% vs 14%
- P = 0.038
- Stroke: 22% vs 6%
- P = 0.008
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implant: 27% vs 10%
- P = 0.015
- Clinical events in LQRSV athletes without initial evidence of cardiac disease
- 0
Original publication
Low QRS voltages and left ventricular hypertrophy: a risky association. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 13 February 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →