Fragmented QRS may be associated with subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in patients with hypertension

Introduction:In hypertensive patients, the early detection of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction could prevent or delay patients from heart failure by aggressive risk factor control and rigorous medical management.Fragmented QRS (fQRS) is a marker of myocardial fibrosis, and myocardial fibrosis causes left ventricular dysfunction in hypertensive patients.In this study, we aimed to assess the association between the presence of fQRS and LV function at hypertensive patients using the speckle tracking echocardiography method. Patients and Methods:The study included a total of 95 hypertensive patients.Detailed anamnesis, physical examination, laboratory tests, 12-lead electrocardiography, and conventional echocardiography were administered to all patients.The participating patients were divided into two groups as fQRS (+) (n= 33) and fQRS (-) (n= 62).Results: Compared to the fQRS (-) group, the fQRS (+) group had older age, the average duration of hypertension was longer, and had a higher hemoglobin level.In the fQRS (+) group, interventricular septum thickness, posterior wall thickness, left ventricular mass index, relative wall thickness, deceleration time, and E/Em were significantly higher while left ventricular global longitudinal strain values were lower compared to fQRS (-) group.In the multiple linear regression analysis, fQRS and duration of hypertension were identified as independent predictors of LV-GLS. Conclusion:In this study, we demonstrated that subclinical left ventricular dysfunction developing secondary to myocardial fibrosis could be predicted by fQRS, a simple marker in 12-lead electrocardiography..