Background: Several studies addressed the association between fragmented QRS (fQRS) on 12-lead EKG and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with a variety of cardiovascular disorders. We tested such association in healthy individuals. Methods: Out of 500 healthy participants without-overt cardiovascular disease from the Shiraz Heart Study cohort, we identified 20 subjects with fQRS (cases) and 20 peers without fQRS (controls). Global LV longitudinal strain (GLS) was measured by speckle tracking echocardiography in the two groups. Comparison was made between case and control groups by using chi-square or independent sample t-test or ANOVA. Results: Age, gender, ejection fraction, LV volume and dimensions did not differ between the case and the control groups. Overall, 14 subjects out of 40 had reduced GLS (≤20%) and 10 of them (25%) had fQRS. GLS was significantly lower in the group with fQRS than in the control group (19.9 ± 1.8 vs 21.4 ± 1.6; p = 0.009). Conclusions: Healthy subjects with fQRS present regional LV systolic dysfunction, assessed by GLS, in the presence of a normal ejection fraction. These data suggest that fQRS may be a promising tool to identify apparently healthy subjects with regional LV systolic dysfunction.

Background: Countries are trying several policy options for decreasing the incidence and burden of the COVID-19. One of these strategies is a lockdown, complete closure, to reduce the risk of distributing disease via social interactions. This study aimed to analyze the effect of a three-week lockdown on the mortality and morbidity of the COVID-19 in Iran. Methods: Official daily data on COVID-19 incidence and death reported on the COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO) were extracted from September 1, 2020, to January 14, 2021. Data were analyzed using interrupted time series analysis via STATA 14 software. Results: Lockdown resulted in a significant reduction in the daily death from Covid-19 in the short-term (β=-139, P<0.01) and in the long-term (β=-12, P<0.01). Moreover, lockdown in the short-term insignificantly (β=-21.58, P=0.969), and in the long-term significantly (β=-317.31, P<0.01) reduced the Covid-19 daily incidence. Discussion: The results showed that the lockdown has a significant effect on incidence and death numbers. Therefore, it could be a suitable short-term strategy for controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. On the other hand, its negative effects on households and businesses should be considered.

Background: The burden of cardiovascular diseases have been become a concerning health challenge throughout the world. Stopping this condition needs applying early, yet inexpensive diagnostic methods. The aim of this study is to evaluate the capacity of fragmented QRS (fQRS) on 12-lead EKG for detecting left ventricular dysfunction in healthy individuals.Methods: Out of 500 healthy participants without detected cardiovascular disorders from Shiraz Heart Study cohort, 20 subjects diagnosed with fQRS (case) and 20 peers without fQRS (control) were participated. Global longitudinal strain was measured by speckle tracking echocardiography for two groups. Comparison was made between case and control groups by using chi-square or independent sample t-test or ANOVA. P value of less than 5% considered statistical significance. Results: There was no difference between the case and the control groups in terms of age, gender, ejection fraction, left ventricular volume and dimensions. Out of 40 subjects, 14 had reduced GLS (≤20%) with 10 of them had fQRS. GLS in the case group was significantly lower than in the control group.Conclusions: Apparent healthy subjects with fQRS diagnosed with left ventricular systolic dysfunction with respect to GLS despite normal ejection fraction. It seems that EKG, as one of the simplest way toward assessing heart function, could be a prominent informative clue to detect high-risk individuals among healthy population in advance.

Background: Several studies addressed the association between fragmented QRS (fQRS) on 12-lead EKG and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with a variety of cardiovascular disorders. We tested such association in healthy individuals.Methods: Out of 500 healthy participants without -overt cardiovascular disease from the Shiraz Heart Study cohort, we identified 20 subjects with fQRS (cases) and 20 peers without fQRS (controls). Global LV longitudinal strain (GLS) was measured by speckle tracking echocardiography in the two groups. Comparison was made between case and control groups by using chi-square or independent sample t-test or ANOVA. Results: Age, gender, ejection fraction, LV volume and dimensions did not differ between the case and the control groups. Overall, 14 subjects out of 40 had reduced GLS (≤20%) and 10 of them (25%) had fQRS. GLS was significantly lower in the group with fQRS than in the control group (19.9±1.8 vs 21.4±1.6; p=0.009).Conclusions: Healthy subjects with fQRS present regional LV systolic dysfunction, assessed by GLS, in the presence of a normal ejection fraction. These data suggest that fQRS may be a promising tool to identify apparently healthy subjects with regional LV systolic dysfunction.