Differential prognostic importance of QRS duration in heart failure and acute myocardial infarction associated with left ventricular dysfunction

• Published in: European journal of heart failure 2007-08, Vol.9 (8), p.814-819
• Main Authors: Fosbøl, Emil Loldrup, Seibæk, Marie, Brendorp, Bente, Møller, Daniél Vega, Ersbøll, Mads, Torp-Pedersen, Christian, Køber, Lars
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acute myocardial infarction; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Heart Conduction System - physiopathology; heart failure; Humans; left ventricular dysfunction; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - mortality; Myocardial Infarction - physiopathology; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; QRS duration; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - physiopathology
• ISSN: 1388-9842; 1879-0844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejheart.2007.04.005

Background/Aims Studies of the prognostic importance of QRS duration in patients with heart failure (HF) have shown conflicting results and few studies have estimated the importance after myocardial infarction (MI). Methods The Danish Investigations and Arrhythmia ON Dofetilide (DIAMOND) study randomised 3028 patients to dofetilide (class III antiarrhythmic) or placebo. The study consisted of two almost identical trials conducted simultaneously. One trial included 1518 patients with chronic HF and the other trial 1510 patients with a recent MI. All patients had left ventricular dysfunction. Dofetilide did not influence mortality in either trial. QRS duration was systematically measured at randomisation and was available in 2972 patients. Results Over a 10 year observation period 1037 (70%) patients in the MI study and 1324 (87%) in the HF study died. In the MI study, risk of death increased 6% for each 10 ms increase in QRS duration (HR=1.06/10 ms increase in QRS (CI=1.04-1.09), p