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Hnatkova K, Andršová I, Novotný T, Vanderberk B, Sprenkeler D, Junttila J, Reichlin T, Schlögl S, Vos MA, Friede T, Bauer A, Huikuri HV, Willems R, Schmidt G, Sticherling C, Zabel M, Malik M. QRS complex and T wave planarity for the efficacy prediction of automatic implantable defibrillators. Heart 2024; 110:178-187. [PMID: 37714697 PMCID: PMC10850677 DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2023-322878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that in recipients of primary prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), the non-planarity of ECG vector loops predicts (a) deaths despite ICD protection and (b) appropriate ICD shocks. METHODS Digital pre-implant ECGs were collected in 1948 ICD recipients: 21.4% females, median age 65 years, 61.5% ischaemic heart disease (IHD). QRS and T wave three-dimensional loops were constructed using singular value decomposition that allowed to measure the vector loop planarity. The non-planarity, that is, the twist of the three-dimensional loops out of a single plane, was related to all-cause mortality (n=294; 15.3% females; 68.7% IHD) and appropriate ICD shocks (n=162; 10.5% females; 87.7% IHD) during 5-year follow-up after device implantation. Using multivariable Cox regression, the predictive power of QRS and T wave non-planarity was compared with that of age, heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, QRS duration, spatial QRS-T angle, QTc interval and T-peak to T-end interval. RESULTS QRS non-planarity was significantly (p<0.001) associated with follow-up deaths despite ICD protection with HR of 1.339 (95% CI 1.165 to 1.540) but was only univariably associated with appropriate ICD shocks. Non-planarity of the T wave loop was the only ECG-derived index significantly (p<0.001) associated with appropriate ICD shocks with multivariable Cox regression HR of 1.364 (1.180 to 1.576) but was not associated with follow-up mortality. CONCLUSIONS The analysed data suggest that QRS and T wave non-planarity might offer distinction between patients who are at greater risk of death despite ICD protection and those who are likely to use the defibrillator protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Hnatkova
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Irena Andršová
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Novotný
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Bert Vanderberk
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - David Sprenkeler
- Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Juhani Junttila
- MRC Oulu, University Central Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Tobias Reichlin
- Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Simon Schlögl
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
- German Center of Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marc A Vos
- Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Friede
- German Center of Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Axel Bauer
- University Hospital for Internal Medicine III, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Heikki V Huikuri
- University Central Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Rik Willems
- Division of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Clinical Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Georg Schmidt
- Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Markus Zabel
- German Center of Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cardiology and Pneumology, Heart Center, University Hospital Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marek Malik
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Leikas AJ, Hassinen I, Kivelä A, Hedman A, Mussalo H, Ylä-Herttuala S, Hartikainen JEK. Intramyocardial adenoviral vascular endothelial growth factor-D ∆N∆C gene therapy does not induce ventricular arrhythmias. J Gene Med 2022; 24:e3437. [PMID: 35750637 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phase I KAT301 trial investigated the use of intramyocardial adenoviral vascular endothelial growth factor -DΔNΔC (AdVEGF-D) gene therapy (GT) to alleviate symptoms in refractory angina (RA) patients. In KAT301, 30 patients with RA were randomized to AdVEGF-D or control group in 4:1 ratio. The treatment was found feasible, increased myocardial perfusion, and reduced angina symptoms at 1-year follow-up. However, there is some evidence suggesting that intramyocardial delivery route and overexpression of VEGFs might induce ventricular arrhythmias. Thus, we investigated whether intramyocardial AdVEGF-D GT increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias in patients treated for RA. METHODS We analyzed non-invasive risk predictors of ventricular arrhythmias from 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) as well as heart rate variability (HRV) and the incidence of arrhythmias from 24 h ambulatory ECG at baseline and 3 and 12 months after the GT. In addition, we analyzed the incidence of new-onset arrhythmias and pacemaker implantations during 8.2-year (range 6.3 - 10.4 years) follow-up. RESULTS We found no significant increase in arrhythmias, including supraventricular and ventricular ectopic beats, atrial fibrillation, non-sustained ventricular tachycardias, and life-threatening tachycardias, nor changes in the non-invasive risk predictors of ventricular arrhythmias in the AdVEGF-D treated patients. Instead, we found a significant improvement in the very low and high-frequency bands of HRV suggestive of improved cardiac autonomic regulation after GT. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our results suggest that AdVEGF-D GT does not predispose to arrhythmias and might improve HRV metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksi J Leikas
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Gene Therapy Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Iiro Hassinen
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,Mikkeli Central Hospital, Mikkeli, Finland
| | - Antti Kivelä
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Antti Hedman
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Hanna Mussalo
- Center of Diagnostic Imaging, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Seppo Ylä-Herttuala
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Gene Therapy Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Juha E K Hartikainen
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,Gene Therapy Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
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A machine learning algorithm for electrocardiographic fQRS quantification validated on multi-center data. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6783. [PMID: 35474073 PMCID: PMC9043208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10452-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragmented QRS (fQRS) is an electrocardiographic (ECG) marker of myocardial conduction abnormality, characterized by additional notches in the QRS complex. The presence of fQRS has been associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and arrhythmia in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, current binary visual analysis is prone to intra- and inter-observer variability and different definitions are problematic in clinical practice. Therefore, objective quantification of fQRS is needed and could further improve risk stratification of these patients. We present an automated method for fQRS detection and quantification. First, a novel robust QRS complex segmentation strategy is proposed, which combines multi-lead information and excludes abnormal heartbeats automatically. Afterwards extracted features, based on variational mode decomposition (VMD), phase-rectified signal averaging (PRSA) and the number of baseline-crossings of the ECG, were used to train a machine learning classifier (Support Vector Machine) to discriminate fragmented from non-fragmented ECG-traces using multi-center data and combining different fQRS criteria used in clinical settings. The best model was trained on the combination of two independent previously annotated datasets and, compared to these visual fQRS annotations, achieved Kappa scores of 0.68 and 0.44, respectively. We also show that the algorithm might be used in both regular sinus rhythm and irregular beats during atrial fibrillation. These results demonstrate that the proposed approach could be relevant for clinical practice by objectively assessing and quantifying fQRS. The study sets the path for further clinical application of the developed automated fQRS algorithm.
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Pelli A, Junttila MJ, Kenttä TV, Schlögl S, Zabel M, Malik M, Reichlin T, Willems R, Vos MA, Harden M, Friede T, Sticherling C, Huikuri HV. Q waves are the strongest electrocardiographic variable associated with primary prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator benefit: a prospective multicentre study. Europace 2021; 24:774-783. [PMID: 34849744 PMCID: PMC9071070 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euab260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The association of standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) markers with benefits of the primary prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has not been determined in the contemporary era. We analysed traditional and novel ECG variables in a large prospective, controlled primary prophylactic ICD population to assess the predictive value of ECG in terms of ICD benefit. METHODS AND RESULTS Electrocardiograms from 1477 ICD patients and 700 control patients (EU-CERT-ICD; non-randomized, controlled, prospective multicentre study; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02064192), who met ICD implantation criteria but did not receive the device, were analysed. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. In ICD patients, the co-primary outcome of first appropriate shock was used. Mean follow-up time was 2.4 ± 1.1 years to death and 2.3 ± 1.2 years to the first appropriate shock. Pathological Q waves were associated with decreased mortality in ICD patients [hazard ratio (HR) 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.84; P < 0.01] and patients with pathological Q waves had significantly more benefit from ICD (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.21-0.93; P = 0.03). QTc interval increase taken as a continuous variable was associated with both mortality and appropriate shock incidence, but commonly used cut-off values, were not statistically significantly associated with either of the outcomes. CONCLUSION Pathological Q waves were a strong ECG predictor of ICD benefit in primary prophylactic ICD patients. Excess mortality among Q wave patients seems to be due to arrhythmic death which can be prevented by ICD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Pelli
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - M Juhani Junttila
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland.,Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Tuomas V Kenttä
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Simon Schlögl
- Division of Cardiology, University Medical Center Göttingen Heart Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Zabel
- Division of Cardiology, University Medical Center Göttingen Heart Center, Göttingen, Germany.,DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marek Malik
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tobias Reichlin
- Division of Cardiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rik Willems
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marc A Vos
- Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Markus Harden
- Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tim Friede
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Heikki V Huikuri
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland
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