A Novel Electrocardiographic T-Wave Measurement (Tp-Te Interval) as a Predictor of Heart Abnormalities in Hypertension: A New Opportunity for First-Line Electrocardiographic Evaluation.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of conventional and new markers of early cardiac organ damage (OD) on 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) in 25 outpatients with newly diagnosed untreated essential hypertension compared with 15 normotensive, otherwise healthy individuals. Each participant underwent ECG, echocardiographic, and blood pressure (BP) measurements. Conventional and new ECG indexes for cardiac OD (Tp-Te interval, ventricular activation time, and P-wave analysis) were also measured. Clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BP levels as well as left ventricular mass indexes were significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive patients. No significant differences were found between the two groups for ECG and echocardiographic markers of OD. Only Tp-Te interval was higher in hypertensive than in normotensive individuals (3.06 mm vs 2.24 mm; P<.0001), even after adjustment for anthropometric and clinical parameters. Preliminary results of this study demonstrated prolonged Tp-Te interval in newly diagnosed, untreated hypertensive outpatients compared with normotensive individuals.