Qt dispersion has no prognostic information for patients with advanced congestive heart failure and reduced left ventricular systolic function.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: QT dispersion is a potential prognostic marker of tachyarrhythmic events and death, but it is unclear whether this applies to patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Of the 1518 patients with advanced CHF and left ventricular dysfunction enrolled in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide-CHF (Diamond-CHF) study, a baseline ECG was available in 1319 patients. Of these, QT dispersion could be measured in 703 patients. During a median follow-up of 18 months (minimum 1 year), 285 patients (41%) died. The median QT dispersion was 70 ms (34/155 ms [5%/95% percentiles]), with no difference between survivors and nonsurvivors. Survival analysis revealed no prognostic information derived from QT dispersion regarding all-cause mortality (risk ratio 1.00, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.00; P=0.74), cardiac mortality (risk ratio 1.00, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.01; P=0.55), or cardiac arrhythmic mortality (risk ratio 1.00, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.01; P=0.38). CONCLUSIONS: QT dispersion has no prognostic value regarding all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, or cardiac arrhythmic mortality for patients with advanced CHF and reduced left ventricular systolic function.