Multivariable associations of sudden death versus non-sudden CHD death by T-wave and other ECG changes
| Sudden CHD (n=184) | Non-sudden (n=78) | Adjusted* OR | 95% CI | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-risk ECG abnormality | |||||
| No | 150 | 73 | 1 | – | 0.004† |
| Abnormality without T-wave changes | 13 | 3 | 2.64 | 0.65 to 10.72 | |
| T-wave changes‡ | 21 | 2 | 5.93 | 1.22 to 28.81 | |
| T-wave changes | |||||
| Absent | 163 | 76 | 1 | – | 0.010 |
| Present | 21 | 2 | 6.09 | 1.22 to 30.39 | |
| Q/QS pattern | |||||
| Absent | 180 | 76 | 1 | – | 0.51 |
| Present | 4 | 2 | 0.50 | 0.06 to 3.94 | |
| Arrhythmias | |||||
| Absent | 174 | 77 | 1 | – | 0.075 |
| Present | 10 | 1 | 5.28 | 0.61 to 46.00 | |
*Adjusted for age, peak flow rate, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, smoking status, previous angina, cholesterol, fibrinogen, factor VII, triglycerides, platelets, white cell count, red blood cell count, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, alcohol use, social class, factor V and factor VIII.
†Trend test.
‡Broken down by the presence of ST depression (numbers and adjusted OR (vs no ECG abnormality)):
T-wave alone: sudden deaths=13, non-sudden CHD deaths=1 (adjusted OR 7.26 (95% CI 0.84 to 62.50)).
T-wave and ST depression: sudden deaths=8, non-sudden CHD deaths=1 (adjusted OR 3.50 (95% CI 0.39 to 31.91)).
There were 36 individuals with a T-wave change, Q/QS abnormality and/or an arrhythmia:
23 individuals with a T-wave change (including 3 with a Q/QS abnormality and 1 with an arrhythmia);
3 individuals had a Q/QS abnormality alone; 10 had an arrhythmia alone.
There were three additional individuals with a high-risk ECG abnormality: two with a ventricular condition defect and one with an AV conduction defect.
CHD, coronary heart disease.