BMC Cardiovascular Disorders (Oct 2024)

Prevalence and associated factors of ECG abnormality patterns indicative of cardiac channelopathies among adult general population of Tehran, Iran: a report from the Tehran Cohort Study (TeCS)

  • Sajjad Ahmadi-Renani,
  • Danesh Soltani,
  • Melina Farshbafnadi,
  • Akbar Shafiee,
  • Arash Jalali,
  • Mohammad Mohammadi,
  • Sepehr Golestanian,
  • Erfan kamalian,
  • Farshid Alaeddini,
  • Soheil Saadat,
  • Saeed Sadeghian,
  • Bahman Mansoury,
  • Mohamamdali Boroumand,
  • Abbasali Karimi,
  • Farzad Masoudkabir,
  • Ali Vasheghani-Farahani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-024-04235-w
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Background The characteristics of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities related to cardiac channelopathies potentially linked to sudden cardiac death (SCD) are not widely recognized in Iran. We examined the prevalence of such ECG patterns and their related factors among adult residents of Tehran, Iran. Methods The clinical characteristics and 12-lead ECGs of Tehran Cohort Study participants were examined. Long QT intervals, short QT intervals, Brugada syndrome (BrS) patterns, and early repolarization (ER) were evaluated using computer-based assessment software validated by cardiologists. Logistic regression models were employed to identify the factors associated with the prevalence of different ECG patterns. Results Out of 7678 available ECGs, 7350 were included in this analysis. Long QT interval, ER pattern, BrS patterns, and short QT interval were found in 3.08%, 1.43%, 0.31%, and 0.03% of participants, respectively. The prevalence of long QT interval increased with age, opium consumption, and presence of hypertension. Younger age, lower body mass index (BMI), alcohol use and male sex were independently linked to an elevated prevalence of ER pattern. Most individuals with BrS patterns were men (95%) and had lower BMI, high- and low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol compared to those without the BrS pattern. At a mean follow-up of 30.2 ± 5.5 months, all-cause mortality in the group exhibiting abnormal ECG patterns (6.3%) was approximately twice as high as that in the group without such patterns (2.96%). Conclusion Abnormal ECG patterns corresponding to channelopathies were relatively rare among adult residents of the Tehran population, and their prevalence was influenced by various factors. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

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