Athletes´ Heart: QTc Dispersion and Speckle Tracking Echocardiography

The purpose of this study is to evaluate structure and function of the left ventricle by echocardiographic methods and to investigate the relationship between QT and corrected QT dispersion that calculated in 12-lead-electrocardiography. This study included 38 basketball players (17 male / 21 female) and age-sex matched 40 healthy untrained controls. The left ventricle systolic and diastolic functions were evaluated by conventional, Doppler and 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography methods. Electrocardiography was performed to the subjects and QT and corrected QT dispersion were calculated. Left ventricular internal diameter at end diastole and end systole, and also end diastolic and end systolic volumes were statistically higher in athletes in the M-mode echocardiographic examination (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between the global longitudinal strain values of the groups (p>0.05). The intervals of QT and corrected QT were statistically lower in athletes whereas, dispersions of QT and corrected QT intervals were statistically higher in the athletes (p<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the global longitudinal strain values and the corrected QT interval (p=0.043; r=0.494), and negative correlation between dispersions of QT and corrected QT (p=0.001; r=-0.804 and p=0.001; r=-0.764 respectively) in athletes. Calculation of QT and corrected QT dispersion, that is a feasible and simple method, will provide additional information to aid the differential diagnosis of physiological and pathological adaptation especially when there is a significant decrease in strain values of left ventricle.