Ambulatory Electrocardiogram-Based T-Wave Alternans in Patients With Vasospastic Angina During Asymptomatic Periods

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology 2012-11, Vol.110 (10), p.1446-1451
• Main Authors: Shimada, Hiroshi, MD, Nishizaki, Mitsuhiro, MD, Fujii, Hiroyuki, MD, Yamawake, Noriyoshi, MD, Fukamizu, Seiji, MD, Sakurada, Harumizu, MD, Hiraoka, Masayasu, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Vasospasm - complications; Coronary Vasospasm - diagnosis; Coronary Vasospasm - physiopathology; Diagnosis, Differential; Electrocardiography; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory - methods; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart; Heart attacks; Heart Rate; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Tachycardia, Ventricular - diagnosis; Tachycardia, Ventricular - etiology; Tachycardia, Ventricular - physiopathology; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2012.06.054

T-wave alternans (TWA) is a useful method for evaluating repolarization abnormalities and as a predictor of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Although life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias are occasionally observed during ischemic attacks in patients with vasospastic angina (VSA), there have been no studies to detect repolarization abnormalities using TWA analysis in these patients during the asymptomatic phase. The aim of this study was to analyze modified moving average (MMA) TWA using Holter recordings in 40 patients with VSA and in 40 control subjects. The incidence of positive TWA was higher in the VSA group than in the control group (24 of 40 [60%] vs 0 of 40 [0%], p