Ambulatory electrocardiogram-based T-wave alternans in patients with vasospastic angina during asymptomatic periods

Abstract

T-wave alternans (TWA) is a useful method for evaluating repolarization abnormalities and as a predictor of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Although life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias are occasionally observed during ischemic attacks in patients with vasospastic angina (VSA), there have been no studies to detect repolarization abnormalities using TWA analysis in these patients during the asymptomatic phase. The aim of this study was to analyze modified moving average (MMA) TWA using Holter recordings in 40 patients with VSA and in 40 control subjects. The incidence of positive TWA was higher in the VSA group than in the control group (24 of 40 [60%] vs 0 of 40 [0%], p <0.01). The value of the maximum MMA TWA was also greater in the VSA group than in the control group (68.6 ± 21 vs 34.0 ± 11 μV, p <0.01). In the VSA group, although there was no significant difference in maximum MMA TWA values between patients with multiple- and single-vessel spasm, patients with ventricular tachycardias had higher values than those without (83.0 ± 15 vs 65.9 ± 20 μV, p <0.05). Patients taking calcium channel blockers exhibited decreased values of maximum MMA TWA compared with subjects not taking these drugs (73.8 ± 18 vs 59.5 ± 21 μV, p <0.05). In conclusion, high values and incidences of TWA events were observed in patients with VSA. In the VSA group, maximum values of MMA TWA were high in patients with ventricular tachycardias but decreased in those taking calcium channel blockers. The results suggest that the patients with VSA during asymptomatic phases exhibit repolarization abnormalities leading to a potential risk for life-threatening arrhythmias.