Fossa AA, Zhou M, Robinson A, Purkayastha J, Martin P. Use of ECG restitution (beat-to-beat QT-TQ interval analysis) to assess arrhythmogenic risk of QTc prolongation with guanfacine.
Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2014;
19:582-94. [PMID:
25200912 DOI:
10.1111/anec.12202]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Guanfacine (Intuniv) is a centrally active alpha-2A adrenergic agonist for the new indication of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. QTc (QTcF and QTcNi) was prolonged at both therapeutic (4 mg) and supratherapeutic (8 mg) doses of a thorough QT study even though guanfacine has had a safe clinical history of over 3 million prescriptions for the treatment of hypertension. In an attempt to understand this disparity, retrospective evaluation of the continuous ECG data utilized dynamic beat-to-beat and ECG restitution analyses was performed.
METHODS
Sixty healthy subjects using 24-hour Holters were examined in a 3-arm, placebo- and positive-controlled, double-blind crossover study for effects on beat-to-beat QT, TQ, and RR intervals.
RESULTS
ECG restitution analyses indicated that, at all time points, a disproportionate effect to increase the TQ interval (rest) occurred more in relationship to each QT interval lengthening resulting in a placebo-adjusted reduced QT/TQ ratio of 21% after 4 mg and 31% after 8 mg (both antiarrhythmic responses). Additionally, the percentage of time and magnitude of stress on the heart, as measured by the upper limits of the QT/TQ ratio, were reduced with guanfacine by 22% to 24%. In contrast to guanfacine, moxifloxacin did not show a significant improvement in any restitution parameters but reflected a trend toward proarrhythmia with an increase in the QT/TQ ratio of up to 11%.
CONCLUSION
These results indicate that guanfacine causes a stabilizing effect on cardiac restitution that helps reconcile the clinical evidence for a lack of arrhythmia liability despite apparent increases in typical QT/QTc prolongation measures.
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