Influence of food intake on electrocardiograms of healthy male volunteers

Abstract

Objective: To study the influence of food intake on electrocardiogram (ECG) variables (heart rate, QT-, QTc-, PR-intervals, QRS-time) and morphological alterations of the T-waves in 12 healthy male volunteers.

Methods: The study was of open, three-period crossover design. On each occasion, all subjects fasted from midnight. During two of the study periods, the subjects were given a standardised meal at 1.5 h and 5.5 h after the baseline assessments, respectively, whereas, during the third period, they remained fasting for the entire study period of about 9 h. ECG and blood pressure were recorded at baseline and thereafter every hour for 8 h.

Results: No ECG changes were observed following the fasting condition, whereas a clear change in ECG and an increased heart rate were recorded in response to the meal intake during the other two periods. The most prominent ECG effect was the change in the size and shape of the T-waves, which were described as flattened to biphasic and, occasionally, negative. These alterations were most pronounced in the precordial leads V₄ to V₆ in the ECG recording immediately following the meal intake, with a gradual return to baseline conditions over 4–5 h. Moreover, a transient increase of supine systolic blood pressure was also recorded in response to the meal intake.

Conclusions: The intake of a meal can cause clear and consistent ECG changes in healthy male subjects, comprising increases in heart rate as well as alterations in the size and shape of the T-waves (flattened to biphasic and, occasionally, negative). Also, a post-meal increase in the supine systolic blood pressure was recorded.