Circadian and Gender Effects on Repolarization in Healthy Adults: A Study Using Harmonic Regression Analysis

Abstract

A circadian variation exists in the dispersion of myocardial repolarization, as measured by both TpTe and QT-dispersion. Men and women have a different circadian variation pattern. Further studies regarding the mechanisms and clinical implications are needed.

Gender Differences in ECG Parameters and Their Clinical Implications

“…11 In the current issue of Annals, Mayuga et al evaluated the circadian variation in the dispersion of repolarization as measured by the T-wave peak to T-wave end interval (TpTe) and by QT-dispersion in healthy women and men. 12 These authors found that QT dispersion was greater in men with more diurnal variation than in women. The magnitude of the QT dispersion in men was greatest in the early morning hours, the time period when the risk for arrhythmic sudden cardiac death is known to be enhanced.…”

Repolarization Characteristics in Early Repolarization and Brugada Syndromes: Insight into an Overlapping Mechanism of Lethal Arrhythmias

“…It is known that the incidence of SCD shows circadian variations and there is a corresponding temporally coordinated increase in the ventricular refractoriness, QT interval, and QT dispersion . Experimentally, Yamashita et al .…”

The Year of 2010 in Electrocardiology

“…Several previous studies have suggested that not only anatomical but also hormonal and genetic factors may explain differences in various ECG parameters between men and women. Mayuga and coworkers 18 studied the circadian variations in the dispersion of myocardial repolarization as measured by both QT‐dispersion and T‐wave peak to T‐wave end (Tp‐Te) in healthy women and men: they demonstrated a greater QT dispersion in men with more circadian variations, than in women. QT dispersion in men was greatest in the early morning hours (the time when the risk of arrhythmic sudden death is high).…”