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The Tp-e/QT ratio as a predictor of nocturnal premature ventricular contraction events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

  • Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Original Article
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Abstract

Background

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is significantly associated with a higher risk of ventricular arrhythmia (VA). QT, the Tp-e/QT ratio, and QT dispersion (QTd) are used to evaluate myocardial repolarization and are highly correlated with VA. The aim was to evaluate the predictive value of the Tp-e/QT ratio and other electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters for nocturnal premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in patients with OSA.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from patients with OSA and conducted a 1:1 matched cohort study. Patients diagnosed with OSA who met our criteria for the PVC group, and sex- and age-matched patients with OSA who met our criteria for the control group were enrolled in the study. The Tp-e, Tp-e/QT ratio, corrected QT interval (QTc), corrected Tp-e interval (Tp-ec), and QTd were measured, calculated and analyzed.

Results

Patients in the PVC group (n = 31) showed a greater Tp-e, Tp-ec, QTc, Tp-e/QT ratio, and QTd than patients in the control group (n = 31). In the univariate binary logistic regression analysis, higher Tp-ec (OR: 1.025; P = 0.042), QTc (OR: 1.014; P = 0.036), Tp-e/QT ratio (OR: 1.675; P < 0.001), and QTd (OR: 1.052; P = 0.012) values were all significantly associated with nocturnal PVCs. In multivariate analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis, a higher Tp-e/QT ratio (OR: 2.168; 95% CI: 0.762–0.952; P < 0.001) was an independent predictor of nocturnal PVCs.

Conclusions

The QTc, Tp-e/QT ratio, and QTd in patients with OSA with nocturnal PVCs were significantly increased compared with those in patients without nocturnal PVCs. A prolonged Tp-e/QT ratio was an independent predictor of nocturnal PVCs in patients with OSA.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Foundation of Xinjiang Science and Technology Support Project (2020E0274) and the Foundation of Health and Family planning Commission of Hubei Province (2021CFB334 and 2021CFB440).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China

    Hui Yan, Guipeng Wang, Shifeng Xing, Hongyun Xing, Yankai Guo, Pengke Zhang & Guiqiu Cao

  2. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Huafen Liu & Bing Huang

  3. Department of Cardiac Function, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Limei Hu & Jining Zhou

Authors
  1. Hui Yan
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Contributions

Conception or design of the work: Guiqiu Cao, Jining Zhou, Hui Yan.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Huafen Liu, Bing Huang, Hui Yan, Guipeng Wang, Hongyun Xing, Limei Hu, Yankai Guo, Pengke Zhang.

Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content: Huafen Liu, Bing Huang, Hui Yan, Guiqiu Cao, Guipeng Wang, Yankai Guo, Shifeng Xing, Pengke Zhang.

All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jining Zhou or Guiqiu Cao.

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Ethics approval

The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1975 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cite this article

Yan, H., Liu, H., Wang, G. et al. The Tp-e/QT ratio as a predictor of nocturnal premature ventricular contraction events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Breath 27, 469–476 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-022-02626-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-022-02626-x

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