Novel ventricular repolarization indexes in prehypertensive and newly diagnosed hypertensive patients: Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio

Abstract

Objectives: Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio are associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias and cardiovascular mortality. We aimed to evaluate ventricular repolarization indexes in patients with prehypertension and new diagnosed hypertension. Materials: Our study population consisted of 95 subjects: 28 healthy volunteers with normotensive, 35 subjects with prehypertension, and 32 patients with newly diagnosed hypertension (HT). Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were measured from a 12-lead electrocardiogram, and the Tp-e interval corrected for heart rate. These parameters were compared among groups. Results: Age, gender distribution, heart rate and lipit levels were similar, between of the study groups (P > 0.05). Corrected QT dispersion, corrected Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were significantly increased in patients with HT when compared with normotensive and prehypertension subjects (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were increased in HT patients with respect to normotensive subjects. These parameters were similar normotensive and prehypertensive subjects. Our results may contribute to pathophysiological mechanisms of increased prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiovascular mortality risk by indicating increased ventricular repolarization heterogeneity in hypertension patients.