[Association between QT-interval and its dispersion with factors determining prognosis of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality].

AIM: To elucidate relation between prolongation of corrected maximal QT intervals and QT dispersion (QTcmax, QTcD) and presence and severity of arterial hypertension, as well as other factors determining high cardiovascular risk in female population of Tallinn aged 56 - 66 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of female citizens of Tallinn (n=123, age 56 - 65 years) were subjected to standard examination including blood pressure measurement, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and laboratory tests. RESULTS: Presence of prolonged QTcmax and/or QTcD were associated with elevation of pulse pressure, which reflected strain and elasticity of the aorta, as well as with presence of left ventricular hypertrophy, especially concentric variant of changes of left ventricular geometry. Participants with prolonged QTcmax and/or QTcD had higher total 10 year risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

[Arterial hypertension, echocardiographically determined left ventricular hypertrophy and N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide levels in women population aged 56-65 years].

Aim of the study was to investigate relationship between arterial hypertension (AH), left ventricular myocardial mass (LVMM), and levels of N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (pro-NT BNP) in a population of women inhabitants of Tallinn aged 56-65 years. Of 163 women aged 50-59 years who had participated in epidemiological study in 2000 in 132 measurement of arterial pressure (AP), electrocardiography, echocardiography, complex laboratory diagnostics including determination of pro-NT BNP were repeated in 2007. Most frequent risk factor was AH which was detected in 56.1% of cases. In women with normal AP normal LVMM was noted in 81.1% of cases, while in women with elevated AP normal LVMM was significantly less frequent (28.4%). Only in 5 of 28 women with elevated pro-NT BNP deviations of systolic-diastolic function were observed. Elevated levels of pro-NT BNP were found with almost equal rates among patients with normal and increased LWMM (in 9.1 and 8.3% of cases, respectively). Thus increase of content of pro-NT BNP is of limited significance for diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in women aged 56-65 years without clinical signs of disease.