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Effects of β-Adrenergic Antagonists on the QT Measurements from Exercise Stress Tests in Pediatric Patients with Long QT Syndrome

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Abstract

It has been proposed that β-adrenergic antagonist protection against cardiac events in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) may be related to a decrease in baseline QTc dispersion. To determine the effects of β-blocker therapy on QT measurements, we evaluated the exercise tests of 25 pediatric patients with LQTS. Measurements were made of the maximum QTc interval and QTc dispersion during the various segments of the exercise test. There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-β-blocker and post-β-blocker maximum QTc interval during the supine (0.473 ± 0.039 vs 0.470 ± 0.038 sec), exercise (0.488 ± 0.044 vs 0.500 ± 0.026 sec), or recovery (0.490 ± 0.031 vs 0.493 ± 0.029 sec) phases of the exercise stress test. There was also no statistically significant difference between the pre-β-blocker and post-β-blocker QTc dispersion during the supine (0.047 ± 0.021 vs 0.058 ± 0.033 sec), exercise (0.063 ± 0.036 vs 0.063 ± 0.028 sec), or recovery (0.045 ± 0.023 vs 0.052 ± 0.026 sec) phases of the exercise stress test. Therefore, the protection that β-blockers offer appears not to be related to a reduction of the baseline QTc interval or a decrease of QTc dispersion.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Bernard J. Clark, M.D., for his help with statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Cardiac Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA

    J. R. Kaltman, P. Stephens, M. G. McBride, R. E. Tanel, V. L. Vetter & L. A. Rhodes

  2. Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA

    P. S. Ro

  3. Pediatric Cardiology Consultants, 333 East Virginia Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA

    M. I. Cohen

Authors
  1. J. R. Kaltman
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  2. P. S. Ro
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  3. P. Stephens
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  4. M. G. McBride
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  5. M. I. Cohen
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  6. R. E. Tanel
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  7. V. L. Vetter
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  8. L. A. Rhodes
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Correspondence to J. R. Kaltman.

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Kaltman, J., Ro, P., Stephens, P. et al. Effects of β-Adrenergic Antagonists on the QT Measurements from Exercise Stress Tests in Pediatric Patients with Long QT Syndrome . Pediatr Cardiol 24, 553–558 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-003-0436-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-003-0436-0

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