T-wave axis deviation, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk: results from the MOLI-SANI study

• Published in: Journal of electrocardiology 2012-11, Vol.45 (6), p.546-550
• Main Authors: Assanelli, Deodato, MD, Rago, Livia, MD, Salvetti, Massimo, MD, Di Castelnuovo, Augusto, MSc, PhD, Badilini, Fabio, PhD, FACC, Vaglio, Martino, MSc, Zito, Francesco, MD, Donati, Maria Benedetta, MD, PhD, de Gaetano, Giovanni, MD, PhD, Iacoviello, Licia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular Diseases - diagnosis; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted - methods; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted - statistics & numerical data; Early Diagnosis; Electrocardiography - methods; Estimated cardiovascular risk; Europe - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Incidence; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnosis; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Reproducibility of Results; Risk Assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; T-wave axes deviation
• ISSN: 0022-0736; 1532-8430
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2012.07.019

Abstract Early recognition of patients at increased cardiovascular risk is a major challenge. The surface electrocardiogram provides a useful platform and it has been used to propose several indexes. T wave axis abnormality is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, independently of other risk factors and can be associated with the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We assessed the prevalence of T axis abnormalities and its relationship with MetS and its components in a large population of Italian adults. Data concerning 11,143 women (54 ± 11 years) and 9742 men (55 ± 11 years) randomly recruited from a general population (Moli-sani cohort) were analyzed. After excluding subjects with incomplete data and with history of cardiac disease or left ventricular hypertrophy, T-wave axis was normal in 74.5% of men and 80.9% of women, borderline in 23.6% and 17.3% and abnormal in 1.9% and 1.8%. In subjects with MetS, the prevalence of borderline or abnormal T-wave axis deviation was higher than in subjects without MetS (in men: 26.6% vs. 22.1% and 2.5% vs. 1.7%; in women: 25% vs. 15% and 2.4% vs. 1.6%, respectively for borderline and abnormal levels, p < 0.0001). Each component of MetS increased the odds of having borderline or abnormal T-wave axis deviation by 1.21 in men and 1.31 in women. T wave axis deviation is associated with MetS and its individual components. These findings confirm previous reported results, expanding them to a large and representative sample of European population of Caucasian ethnicity.