P-wave peak time and P-wave dispersion in surface electrocardiography as initial predictors of new-onset atrial fibrillation in early-onset hypertension.

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in hypertension, and electrophysiological remodelling may contribute to the early stage of the disease. This study aimed to develop electrocardiography (ECG) prediction models on new-onset AF (NAF) in early-onset hypertension (e-HTN). This matched case-control study included primary hypertension patients with onset <5 years defined as e-HTN and without documented AF. Developed NAF was the risk group and non-developed NAF was control group with 1:2 ratio. Group was matched according to age, gender, follow-up time, and duration of hypertension. Parameters of ECG and echocardiography between the groups at the baseline and end of follow-up will be compared. A total of 348 e-HTN with 116 developed NAF during follow-up (60.2 ± 14.5 months) were included. At baseline ECG, duration of QRS (100.84 ms ± 15.69 ms vs 94.80 ms ± 15.68 ms), Pmax (106.75 ms ± 7.93 ms vs 101.77 ms ± 6.78 ms), Pmin (70.24 ms ± 5.59 ms vs 68.17 ms ± 5.61 ms), P-wave dispersion (PD) (36.50 ms ± 5.25 ms vs 33.60 ms ± 5.46 ms), P-wave Peak Time (PWPT) II (62.01 ms ± 3.92 ms vs 54.29 ms ± 6.73 ms), and PWPT V1 (55.31 ms ± 2.89 ms vs 51.24 ms ± 4.05 ms) were significantly higher in developed NAF (all P-value < 0.05). LVMI was also significantly higher in bivariate analysis, but only Pmax, Pmin, PD, PWPT, non-RAAS inhibitor, and uncontrolled hypertension were independently associated with developed NAF. Baseline PWPT II with cut-off ≥57.9 ms and PD ≥ 35.5 ms has high sensitivity and specificity on NAF prediction. In conclusion, baseline PWPT and PD are potential electrophysiological parameters for predicting NAF in e-HTN.