Long-term outcomes associated with prolonged PR interval in the general Japanese population

Abstract

Prolonged PR interval on electrocardiography (ECG) involves a conduction delay in the atrioventricular node. Prolonged PR interval can also be accompanied by abnormalities in other parts of the conduction system, including the His–Purkinje system, which is often associated with underlying structural heart disease [ 1 Aro A.L. Anttonen O. Kerola T. Junttila M.J. Tikkanen J.T. Rissanen H.A. Reunanen A. Huikuri H.V. Prognostic significance of prolonged PR interval in the general population. Eur. Heart J. 2014; 35: 123-129 Crossref PubMed Scopus (82) Google Scholar , 2 Dhingra R.C. Palileo E. Strasberg B. Swiryn S. Bauernfeind R.A. Wyndham C.R. Rosen K.M. Significance of the HV interval in 517 patients with chronic bifascicular block. Circulation. 1981; 64: 1265-1271 Crossref PubMed Scopus (116) Google Scholar ]. The association between prolonged PR interval and the risk of mortality has been recently studied in Western general populations yielding inconsistent results [ 1 Aro A.L. Anttonen O. Kerola T. Junttila M.J. Tikkanen J.T. Rissanen H.A. Reunanen A. Huikuri H.V. Prognostic significance of prolonged PR interval in the general population. Eur. Heart J. 2014; 35: 123-129 Crossref PubMed Scopus (82) Google Scholar , 3 Cheng S. Keyes M.J. Larson M.G. McCabe E.L. Newton-Cheh C. Levy D. Benjamin E.J. Vasan R.S. Wang T.J. Long-term outcomes in individuals with prolonged PR interval or first-degree atrioventricular block. JAMA. 2009; 301: 2571-2577 Crossref PubMed Scopus (400) Google Scholar , 4 Magnani J.W. Gorodeski E.Z. Johnson V.M. Sullivan L.M. Hamburg N.M. Benjamin E.J. Ellinor P.T. P wave duration is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality outcomes: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Heart Rhythm. 2011; 8: 93-100 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (85) Google Scholar ]. Little is known regarding the prognostic significance of this ECG pattern in Asian populations. We aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes associated with prolonged PR interval in a large representative sample of the general Japanese population.