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(Circulation. 2003;107:e9024.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cardiovascular News

Ruth SoRelle, MPH

Circulation Newswriter

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

QTc Interval and B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels Predict Death in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure

A prolonged QTc interval in the presence of high B-type natriuretic peptide levels strongly predicts a negative outcome for patients with heart failure, according to the researchers led by Bojan Vrtovec, MD, PhD, of the Cardiopulmonary Transplantation Service at Texas Heart Institute at St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Tex. The report of their research appears in this week’s issue of Circulation (Circulation. 2003;107:1764–1769).

In this study, researchers measured QTc levels in 241 heart failure patients who arrived at the hospital with B-natriuretic peptide levels that were greater than 400 pg/mL. The QTc interval was prolonged in 122 patients and normal in 119. The B-natriuretic peptide levels were not significantly different between the members of the groups. During follow-up, 46 patients died, 9 underwent transplantation, and 17 received implantation of a left ventricular assist device. Deaths were attributed to pump failure in 24 patients, sudden cardiac death in 18, and non–heart-related causes in 4.

The researchers reported that Kaplan-Meier survival curves were 3 times higher in patients with normal QTc intervals than in those with prolonged intervals. The researchers wrote: "It may be of particular significance in identifying those at risk who are already known to have pressure or volume overload of the left ventricle. Further studies are needed to determine its pathophysiological significance and whether it can be used with other markers to develop a multivariate risk stratification protocol that could aid in determining the need for advanced therapies.

Statins Before Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With High Levels of Inflammation
Statin therapy given before percutaneous coronary intervention was . . . [Full Text of this Article]