Detection of ventricular late potentials and the incidence of ventricular tachycardia in diabetic patients, with reference to myocardial infarction

Abstract

To clarify the relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and fatal ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia (VT), in patients with ishcemic heart disease, signal-averaged electrocardiograms were recorded in 107 patients with DM and/or myocardial infarction (MI). During the acute stage of MI (within 6 weeks of onset), patients with DM had significantly greater amplitude in the last 40 msec of filtered QRS as compared to those without DM (69.1 +/- 55.1 vs 33.9 +/- 17.5 microV, p < 0.01), thus signifying a lower incidence of late ventricular potential (LP) and VT. We therefore investigated the incidence of VT in 257 consecutive patients with acute MI (74 with DM, 183 without DM). Although there was no significant difference in the incidence of VT between the two groups, a subgroup with congestive heart failure (CHF, Killip > or = II) in the DM group had a significantly lower incidence of VT than a subgroup with CHF but not DM (18.5% vs 41.9%, p < 0.05). It is concluded that patients with DM have a lower incidence of LP and VT during the acute stage of MI.