Copyright © 1997 by the European Society of Cardiology.
© 1997 The European Society of Cardiology
Survival and incidence of myocardial infarction in men with ambulatory ECG-detected frequent and complex ventricular arrhythmias
10 year follow-up of the ‘Men born 1914’ study in Malmö, Sweden
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*Division of Epidemiology, Department of Community Medicine, Lund University Malmö, Sweden
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Cardiology, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University Malmö, Sweden
Received 17 March 1997; accepted 21 March 1997.
Correspondence: Dr Steen Juul-Möller, Department of Cardiology, Malmö University Hospital, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
Abstract
AIM: To assess to what extent do frequent or complex ventricular arrhythmias, detected during 24 h ambulatory electrocardiographic recording (ECG), influence prognosis with regard to survival and incidence of ischaemic heart disease.
METHODS AND RESULTS: The study subjects were the 456 randomly selected men born in 1914, the population-based cohort study of 1982–83, in Malmö, Sweden. The main outcome measures were total mortality and incidence of cardiac event (myocardial infarction and death from ischaemic heart disease). Frequent or complex ventricular arrhythmias (Lown classes 2–5) were detected in 49% of the men with (n=77), and in 35% of those without, a history of myocardial infarction or angina pectoris at baseline, P=0·019. Independent of clinically evident coronary artery disease at baseline, and after adjustment for traditional atherosclerotic risk factors and use of digitalis or betablocker therapy, frequent or complex ventricular arrhythmias were associated with an increased mortality from ischaemic heart disease (relative risk (RR), 2·1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1·2–3·9) and an increased cardiac event rate (RR, 1·6; 95% CI, 1·0–2·5)). Men free from both ischaemic-type ST depression and frequent or complex ventricular arrhythmias (used as the control group) had the lowest ischaemic heart disease death rate, 5·9 per 1000 person-years. The combination of ST depression and frequent or complex ventricular arrhythmias was associated with an ischaemic heart disease death rate of 20·9 per 1000 person-years. The cardiac event rate in these two groups was 15·6 and 76·1 per 1000 person-years, respectively (adjusted RR, 2·3; CI, 1·1–4·6).
CONCLUSION: In elderly men without a history of myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, frequent or complex ventricular arrhythmias during ambulatory ECG recording is associated with an increased incidence of myocardial infarction and mortality. Men who, during ambulatory ECG recording, also demonstrate ST-segment depression have an even less favourable prognosis.
Key Words: Ambulatory electrocardiographic recording • ventricular arrhythmia • prognosis
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