Centenarians had a significantly higher prevalence of supraventricular premature beats (31% vs 4%, P<0.001) and AV block (25% vs 1%, P<0.001) compared to elderly controls.
Cross-Sectional (n=121)
Absolute Event Rate: 31% vs 4%
p-value: p=<0.001
BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown an increase in the prevalence of arrhythmias with advancing age. However, little is known about arrhythmias in centenarians. METHOD AND RESULTS: Thirty-two Japanese centenarians aged 100-106 years (14 males, 18 females) were studied. All of them had 12-lead ECGs, and 22 also had 24-hour ambulatory monitoring. As controls, 89 healthy Japanese elderly from the same geographic area underwent 12-lead ECG. Their mean age was 75 +/- 6 years with a range of 63-93 years, and there were 28 males and 61 females. Twenty-three of them also had Holter ECGs. On the 12-lead ECG, the heart rate was slightly, but significantly, higher in the centenarians (76.8 +/- 12.7 beats/min) than that in the elderly subjects (74.9 +/- 5.9 beats/min, P 1,000 VPBs/day as opposed to four elderly subjects (P < 0.01). Atrial fibrillation was not observed in any records of the centenarians despite the presence of frequent SVPBs. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that conduction disturbances of the AV nodal--His-Purkinje system and frequent SVPBs are common in centenarians, whereas very frequent VPBs and atrial fibrillation seem less common.
Wakida et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Arrhythmias (n=121). Centenarian age vs. Elderly controls was evaluated on Supraventricular premature beats (SVPBs) (p=<0.001). Centenarians had a significantly higher prevalence of supraventricular premature beats (31% vs 4%, P<0.001) and AV block (25% vs 1%, P<0.001) compared to elderly controls.