Itai M Magodoro1, Alfred J Albano2, Rahul Muthalaly3, Bruce Koplan3, Crystal M North4, Dagmar Vořechovská5, Jordan Downey6, John Kraemer7, Martino Vaglio8, Fabio Badilini8, Bernard Kakuhire9, Alexander C Tsai10, Mark J Siedner11. 1. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: Itai_Magodoro@hms.harvard.edu. 2. Michigan State University School of Medicine, East Lansing, MI, USA. 3. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Arrhythmia Service, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 4. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 5. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 6. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. 7. Department of Health Systems Administration, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. 8. Analyzing Medical Parameters for Solutions, LLC, New York, NY, USA. 9. Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda. 10. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Analyzing Medical Parameters for Solutions, LLC, New York, NY, USA. 11. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of QT interval prolongation in rural Uganda. BACKGROUND: Major electrocardiographic abnormalities, including prolonged QT interval, have been shown to be independently predictive of adverse cardiovascular events among Western populations. Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa with poorly characterized context-specific risk factors. An important question is whether ECG screening might have value in cardiovascular disease risk stratification in SSA. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a sample of adults participating in an ongoing whole-population cohort in Mbarara, Uganda, in 2015. Of 1,814 subjects enrolled in the parent whole-population cohort, 856 (47%) participated in the study. Participants completed 12-lead electrocardiography and cardiovascular disease risk factors assessment. We summarized sex-specific, heart rate variation-adjusted QT (QTa) defining prolonged QTa as >460 ms in women and >450 ms in men. We fit linear and logistic regression models to estimate correlates of (continuous) QTa interval length and (dichotomous) prolonged QTa. Models included inverse probability of sampling weights to generate population-level estimates accounting for study nonparticipation. RESULTS: We assessed data from 828 participants with electrocardiograms. The weighted population mean age was 38.4 years (95% confidence interval: 36.3-40.4). The weighted population was 50.4% female, 11.5% had elevated blood pressure, and 57.6% had a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein >1 mg/dl. The population mean QTa was 409.1 ms (95% confidence interval: 405.1-413.1), and 10.3% (95% confidence interval: 7.8-13.5) met criteria for prolonged QTa. Women had a higher mean QTa (421.6 ms vs. 396.3 ms; p < 0.001), and a higher proportion of women had a prolonged QTa (14.0% vs. 9.3%; p = 0.122) than did men. In multivariable-adjusted regression models, female sex and hypertension correlated with higher mean QTa and meeting criteria for prolonged QTa, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: QT interval prolongation is highly prevalent in rural Uganda and may be more common than in high-income settings. Female sex, age, and high blood pressure correlated with QT interval prolongation. Future work should assess whether genetic predisposition or environmental factors in sub-Saharan African populations contribute to prolonged QT and clarify consequences.
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of QT interval prolongation in rural Uganda. BACKGROUND: Major electrocardiographic abnormalities, including prolonged QT interval, have been shown to be independently predictive of adverse cardiovascular events among Western populations. Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa with poorly characterized context-specific risk factors. An important question is whether ECG screening might have value in cardiovascular disease risk stratification in SSA. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a sample of adults participating in an ongoing whole-population cohort in Mbarara, Uganda, in 2015. Of 1,814 subjects enrolled in the parent whole-population cohort, 856 (47%) participated in the study. Participants completed 12-lead electrocardiography and cardiovascular disease risk factors assessment. We summarized sex-specific, heart rate variation-adjusted QT (QTa) defining prolonged QTa as >460 ms in women and >450 ms in men. We fit linear and logistic regression models to estimate correlates of (continuous) QTa interval length and (dichotomous) prolonged QTa. Models included inverse probability of sampling weights to generate population-level estimates accounting for study nonparticipation. RESULTS: We assessed data from 828 participants with electrocardiograms. The weighted population mean age was 38.4 years (95% confidence interval: 36.3-40.4). The weighted population was 50.4% female, 11.5% had elevated blood pressure, and 57.6% had a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein >1 mg/dl. The population mean QTa was 409.1 ms (95% confidence interval: 405.1-413.1), and 10.3% (95% confidence interval: 7.8-13.5) met criteria for prolonged QTa. Women had a higher mean QTa (421.6 ms vs. 396.3 ms; p < 0.001), and a higher proportion of women had a prolonged QTa (14.0% vs. 9.3%; p = 0.122) than did men. In multivariable-adjusted regression models, female sex and hypertension correlated with higher mean QTa and meeting criteria for prolonged QTa, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:QT interval prolongation is highly prevalent in rural Uganda and may be more common than in high-income settings. Female sex, age, and high blood pressure correlated with QT interval prolongation. Future work should assess whether genetic predisposition or environmental factors in sub-Saharan African populations contribute to prolonged QT and clarify consequences.
Authors: Pentti M Rautaharju; Borys Surawicz; Leonard S Gettes; James J Bailey; Rory Childers; Barbara J Deal; Anton Gorgels; E William Hancock; Mark Josephson; Paul Kligfield; Jan A Kors; Peter Macfarlane; Jay W Mason; David M Mirvis; Peter Okin; Olle Pahlm; Gerard van Herpen; Galen S Wagner; Hein Wellens Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 2009-03-17 Impact factor: 24.094
Authors: Sabine M J M Straus; Jan A Kors; Marie L De Bruin; Cornelis S van der Hooft; Albert Hofman; Jan Heeringa; Jaap W Deckers; J Herre Kingma; Miriam C J M Sturkenboom; Bruno H Ch Stricker; Jacqueline C M Witteman Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 2006-01-17 Impact factor: 24.094
Authors: Ermeg L Akylbekova; Richard S Crow; William D Johnson; Sarah G Buxbaum; Stephanie Njemanze; Ervin Fox; Daniel F Sarpong; Herman A Taylor; Christopher Newton-Cheh Journal: Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol Date: 2009-05-27
Authors: Richard Migisha; David Collins Agaba; Godfrey Katamba; Silvia Lopez Miranda; Anthony Muyingo; Mark J Siedner Journal: Int J Diabetes Dev Ctries Date: 2021-04-07
Authors: Andrew Wooyoung Kim; Bernard Kakuhikire; Charles Baguma; Crystal M North; Emily N Satinsky; Jessica M Perkins; Patience Ayebare; Allen Kiconco; Elizabeth B Namara; David R Bangsberg; Mark J Siedner; Alexander C Tsai Journal: J Glob Health Date: 2021-07-24 Impact factor: 7.664