Fragmented QRS complex is an independent predictor of plaque burden in patients at intermediate risk of coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between fragmented QRS complex and plaque burden in patients presented with typical chest pain and deemed to have intermediate pretest probability of CAD using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). METHODS: We studied electrocardiograms (ECGs) obtained from 172 subjects (47.5 ± 9.5 years, 125 were men) presented with chest pain and had intermediate pretest probability for CAD. The presence was found and evaluation of CAD was performed with CCTA. RESULTS: Seventy four (43%) of the study cohort had CCTA-documented CAD. Meanwhile the frequency of fQRS in our cohort was (57%). 70 (71.4%) patients with fQRS had CAD compared with only 4 (5.4%) patients without fQRS (p < 0.001). The number of leads with fQRs was correlated with the calcium score (p < 0.005), segment stenosis score, segment involvement score, total plaque score (TPS), and E/e ratio (p < 0.001, for all). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that fQRS was a strong independent predictor for CAD (or = 2.15, p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed that the number of leads ≥3 was the optimal number for predicting CAD (AUC = 0.89, sensitivity 88%, and specificity 83%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Fragmented QRS was seen more often in patients with high plaque burden. We suggest that fQRS might provide a useful noninvasive prognosticator for subjects with intermediate pretest probability of CAD for further investigation.