# Prevalence of Increased QTc Dispersion Among Hypertensive Patients and Its Correlation to Clinical Risk Factors: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study

## TL;DR

This study found that increased QTc dispersion is more common in hypertensive patients in Ghana and could help identify those at higher risk of heart problems.

## Contribution

The study reports the prevalence of increased QTc dispersion in a Ghanaian hypertensive population and its strong association with hypertension.

## Key findings

- Hypertensive patients had a 45% prevalence of increased QTcd compared to 16.5% in controls.
- QTcd was significantly higher in hypertensive patients than in normotensive individuals.
- Increased QTcd was strongly associated with hypertension (odds ratio = 4.14).

## Abstract

Background

In Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries, hypertension (HTN) prevalence is rapidly increasing. Hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with excess fibrous tissue deposition throughout the myocardium. This could lead to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Increased corrected QT dispersion (QTcd) can cause ventricular repolarization and be used to identify patients at risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia. The measurement of increased QTcd among hypertensive patients is a simple screening tool to stratify patients at cardiovascular risk.

Methods

A case-control hospital-based study was conducted on 200 consecutive hypertensive patients. Age- and sex-matched control groups of 200 normotensive individuals who gave informed consent were also recruited. The baseline clinical and demographic characteristics of participants were acquired using structured questionnaires. A physical examination and a resting 12-lead ECG were performed. Increased QTcd and LVH were determined.

Results

The mean age of hypertensive patients was 50.99±6.73 and 48.19±7.17 for the controls (p-value 0.63). The study population was predominantly female (1:2.4 male:female ratio). Higher mean values for QTcd and LVH (Sokolow-Lyon) were observed among hypertensive patients compared to controls. The prevalence of increased QTcd was 45.0% among hypertensive patients compared to 16.5% in controls (χ2 =38.14, p-value <0.0000001, odds ratio = 4.14).

Conclusion

Increased QTcd is prevalent among hypertensive Ghanaians. Its measurement can be an effective non-invasive screening tool to risk-stratify hypertensive patients.