Key result
Familial Mediterranean Fever is linked to prolonged ventricular repolarization, extending Tpe intervals by ~8 msec.
Why the study?
Data about cardiac arrhythmias and ventricular repolarization abnormalities in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients are conflicting.
Does familial Mediterranean fever alter ventricular repolarization indices compared to healthy controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=97)
Single-blind
No
Does familial Mediterranean fever alter ventricular repolarization indices compared to healthy controls?
Absolute Event Rate: 79.8% vs 72.3%
p-value: p=<0.001
Patients with familial Mediterranean fever, particularly those with secondary amyloidosis, exhibit abnormal ventricular repolarization indices on ECG, suggesting a potential increased risk for arrhythmias.
May signal arrhythmia vulnerability in FMF; leaves open whether indices predict events or warrant monitoring.
BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrhythmias can be a part of cardiovascular involvement in some rheumatic diseases, but data about familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) are conflicting. AIM: To search for abnormalities in ventricular repolarization indices in FMF patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy seven FMF patients and 30 age/gender comparable healthy controls were included. All patients were attack free and subjects with disease or drugs that are known to alter cardiac electrophysiology were excluded. Electrocardiographic data were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: Twelve FMF patients had amyloidosis. QT and QTc intervals were within the normal ranges and similar between FMF patients and healthy controls. QT dispersion, peak to end interval of T wave (Tpe), Tpe/QT and Tpe/QTc ratios were significantly higher in FMF patients than in healthy controls. Patients with amyloidosis had significantly higher QT dispersion, Tpe, Tpe/QT and Tpe/QTc than their counterparts without FMF. Levels of proteinuria were moderately correlated with QT dispersion, Tpe, Tpe/QT and Tpe/QTc. CONCLUSIONS: FMF patients may have an increased risk for arrhythmias.
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Ahbap et al. (2015) conducted a cross-sectional in Familial Mediterranean Fever (n=97). Familial Mediterranean Fever vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Tpe interval (msec) (p=<0.001). Familial Mediterranean Fever was associated with significantly increased ventricular repolarization indices, including a prolonged Tpe interval (79.8 vs 72.3 msec) compared to healthy controls.
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