Cited 8 times since 2012 (0.6 per year) source: EuropePMC Journal of electrocardiology, Volume 45, Issue 3, 20 3 2012, Pages 312-318 Diagnosis and mortality prediction in pulmonary hypertension: the value of the electrocardiogram-derived ventricular gradient. Scherptong RW, Henkens IR, Kapel GF, Swenne CA, van Kralingen KW, Huisman MV, Schuerwegh AJ, Bax JJ, van der Wall EE, Schalij MJ, Vliegen HW
Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the use of the electrocardiogram-derived ventricular gradient, projected on the x-axis (VGx), for detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and for prediction of all-cause mortality in PH patients.
Methods
In patients referred for PH screening (n = 216), the VGx was calculated semiautomatically from the electrocardiogram and was defined as abnormal when less than 24 mV · ms. The VGx of PH patients was compared with the VGx of patients without PH. The association between a reduced VGx and mortality was investigated in PH patients.
Results
Patients with PH (n = 117) had a significantly reduced VGx: 14 ± 27 vs 45 ± 23 mV · ms, P < .001. Furthermore, a severely reduced VGx (<0 mV · ms) was associated with increased mortality in PH patients: hazard ratio, 1.025 (95% confidence interval, 1.006-1.045; P = .012) per mV·ms VGx decrease.
Conclusion
Reduced VGx is associated with the presence of PH and, more importantly, within PH patients, a severely reduced VGx predicts mortality.
