Iclal Hocanlı

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Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which is characterized by persistent airflow restriction and respiratory symptoms. Studies demonstrated that cardiac arrhythmias, cardiovascular mortality and cardiac death increased in these patients due to altered myocardial repolarization. Frontal QRS-T angle is a novel marker of myocardial depolarization and repolarization heterogeneity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between frontal QRS-T angle and COPD severity in patients with newly diagnosed COPD. Methods: A total of 104 newly diagnosed COPD patients without any significant comorbidities were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to GOLD stage as follows: patients with mild and moderate COPD (group I) and severe and very severe COPD (group II). Frontal QRS-T angle was calculated from the automatic report of the electrocardiography device . Results: Frontal QRS-T angle was significantly higher in group II patients compared to in group I patients (43.0 [25.5-60.0] vs. 20.0 [12.0-32.0], P < 0.001). The best cut-off value of frontal QRS-T angle for predicting severe-very severe COPD was ≥ 34.5°. Correlation analysis showed that frontal QRS-T angle was negatively correlated with FEV1/FVC (r = –0.524, P < 0.001) and MEF25-75 (r = –0.453, P < 0.001). In linear regression analysis, It was found that MEF25-75 (β: –0.593, P = 0.006) was the only independent predictor of the frontal QRS-T angle. Conclusions: Frontal QRS-T angle, an easily obtainable marker form surface electrocardiography. In this study, we have shown for the first time that frontal QRS-T angle was significantly increased in patients with severe and very severe COPD.