Obesity does not influence electrocardiographic parameters in coronary patients

During the past 3 decades, prevalence of overweight adults has been increasing with approximately 33% of US adults overweight. 1 Kuczmarski R.J Flegal K.M Campbell S.M Johnson C.L Increasing prevalence of overweight among US adults. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1960 to 1991. JAMA. 1994; 272: 205-211 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2426) Google Scholar Because obesity is strongly linked to coronary mortality, 2 Jousilahti P Tuomilehto J Vartiainen E Pekkanen J Puska P Body weight, cardiovascular risk factors, and coronary mortality 15-year follow-up of middle-aged men and women in eastern Finland. Circulation. 1996; 93: 1372-1379 Crossref PubMed Scopus (353) Google Scholar the American Heart Association has identified obesity as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. 3 Eckel R.H Krauss R.M American Heart Association call to action obesity as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Circulation. 1998; 97: 2099-2100 Crossref PubMed Scopus (654) Google Scholar Obesity may affect electrocardiographic findings. Normal obese people are reported to have increased heart rate, 4 Frank S Colliver J.A Frank A The electrocardiogram in obesity statistical analysis of 1,029 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986; 7: 295-299 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (131) Google Scholar , 5 el-Gamal A Gallagher D Nawras A Gandhi P Gomez J Allison D.B Steinberg J.S Shumacher D Blank R Heymsfield S.B Effects of obesity on QT, RR, and QTc intervals. Am J Cardiol. 1995; 75: 956-959 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (107) Google Scholar somewhat increased PR interval and QRS duration, 4 Frank S Colliver J.A Frank A The electrocardiogram in obesity statistical analysis of 1,029 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986; 7: 295-299 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (131) Google Scholar and a significant increased QTc interval. 4 Frank S Colliver J.A Frank A The electrocardiogram in obesity statistical analysis of 1,029 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986; 7: 295-299 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (131) Google Scholar , 5 el-Gamal A Gallagher D Nawras A Gandhi P Gomez J Allison D.B Steinberg J.S Shumacher D Blank R Heymsfield S.B Effects of obesity on QT, RR, and QTc intervals. Am J Cardiol. 1995; 75: 956-959 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (107) Google Scholar , 6 Carella M.J Mantz S.L Rovner D.R Willis III, P.W Gossain V.V Bouknight R.R Ferenchick G.S Obesity, adiposity, and lengthening of the QT interval improvement after weight loss. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disor. 1996; 20: 938-942 PubMed Google Scholar The QTc interval correlates with body weight, 4 Frank S Colliver J.A Frank A The electrocardiogram in obesity statistical analysis of 1,029 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986; 7: 295-299 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (131) Google Scholar , 5 el-Gamal A Gallagher D Nawras A Gandhi P Gomez J Allison D.B Steinberg J.S Shumacher D Blank R Heymsfield S.B Effects of obesity on QT, RR, and QTc intervals. Am J Cardiol. 1995; 75: 956-959 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (107) Google Scholar and prolonged QTc intervals in obese subjects return to normal range after weight loss. 6 Carella M.J Mantz S.L Rovner D.R Willis III, P.W Gossain V.V Bouknight R.R Ferenchick G.S Obesity, adiposity, and lengthening of the QT interval improvement after weight loss. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disor. 1996; 20: 938-942 PubMed Google Scholar QTc prolongation is associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. 7 Moss A.J Measurement of the QT interval and the risk associated with QTc interval prolongation a review. Am J Cardiol. 1993; 72: 23B-25B Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (426) Google Scholar Ventricular tachyarrhythmias have been associated with obesity. 8 Messerli F.H Nunez B.D Ventura H.O Snyder D.W Overweight and sudden death. Increased ventricular ectopy in cardiopathy of obesity. Arch Intern Med. 1987; 147: 1725-1728 Crossref PubMed Scopus (240) Google Scholar Although growing numbers of obese subjects have coronary heart disease, the electrocardiographic findings in coronary patients in relation to body mass index (BMI) have not been studied. Because prolongation of the QT interval is independent of risk factors in post–myocardial infarction patients for sudden cardiac death, 9 Peters R.W Byington R.P Barker A Yusuf S Prognostic value of prolonged ventricular repolarization following myocardial infarction the BHAT experience. The BHAT Study Group. J Clin Epidemiol. 1990; 43: 167-172 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (95) Google Scholar the magnitude of modulation of the QT interval by body weight was also investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the association between BMI and electrocardiographic repolarization parameters in patients with coronary artery disease.