T-Wave Morphology Parameters Open New Door to Cardiovascular Mortality Prognosis
Study published in HeartRhythm Journal is first step toward potential treatment strategies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kennesha Baldwin
Heart Rhythm Society
(202) 464-3476
kbaldwin@HRSonline.org

WASHINGTON, DC — New research reveals T-wave morphology parameters contain predictive value for mortality in the general population, independent of other clinical risk factors. A study published in the August edition of the HeartRhythm Journal, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, indicates that T-wave morphology parameters may allow health care professionals to better assess arrhythmia vulnerability in patients, and the prognostic value is uniquely related to cardiovascular mortality and seems to be gender specific. Read full text of study »

The study, led by Kimmo Porthan, MD, Department of Cardiology at Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland, aims to equip health professionals with a dependable prognosis tool that has never been available through traditional electrocardiographic QT intervals. The study was the largest of its kind and conducted by assessing 5,917 adults participating in the Finnish population-based Health 2000 Study.

“The study shows that, unlike ECG QT intervals, T-wave morphology parameters contain predictive value for mortality in the general population,” said Dr. Porthan. “The study results deepen our existing knowledge about the predictive value of several ECG repolarization parameters and will potentially help plan future clinical trials assessing cardiac repolarization.”

In this large, population-based prospective study, ECG T-wave morphology parameters, but not heart rate-corrected QT interval, provide independent prognostic information specifically on cardiovascular mortality. Of the 335 deaths that occurred between the start of the study and a mean follow-up of nearly six years, 131 were cardiovascular deaths. Additionally, T-wave morphology parameters show gender specificity in their performance, suggesting that T-wave morphology parameters should be assessed gender specifically in order for clinical risk indicators to be as precise as possible.

T-wave morphology parameters measure abnormalities during the ventricular repolarization phase and are potentially interrelated with arrhythmia vulnerability. As researchers learn more, T-wave morphology parameters may eventually help health professionals select specific treatment strategies.

For more information about this study, please visit www.heartrhythmjournal.com.

About HeartRhythm Journal
HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, provides rapid publication of the most important science developments in the field of arrhythmias and cardiovascular electrophysiology (EP). As the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, HeartRhythm publishes both basic and clinical subject matter of scientific excellence devoted to the EP of the heart and blood vessels, as well as therapy. The journal is the only EP publication serving the entire electrophysiology community from basic to clinical academic researchers, private practitioners, technicians, industry and trainees. HeartRhythm has an impact factor of 4.444 (as of 2008) and ranks 11th out of 78 cardiovascular medicine journals worldwide by the Institute for Scientific Information, remaining the #1 specialty journal in cardiology. Additionally, the journal ranks seventh in the Immediacy Index among cardiology publications. It is also the official publication of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society.