High prevalence of prolonged QTc interval among individuals in ambulatory diabetic care in southwestern Uganda
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International journal of diabetes in developing countries
Abstract
Heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events and mortality
among individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). Little is known about the epidemiology of prolonged QTc among people with
DM in resource-limited settings.
Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among adults with diabetes in ambulatory care at the Mbarara Regional Referral
Hospital, from November 2018 to April 2019. Twelve-lead ECG recordings were performed on all participants. We collected
clinical and laboratory data related to diabetes disease status and treatment control.We estimated QTc using Bazett’s formula and
categorized it according to standardized sex-adjusted thresholds. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify correlates
of QTc.
Results We recruited 299 participants with a mean age of 50.1 years (SD±9.8) and mean HbA1c of 9.7 % (SD±2.6), and 69.6%
were female. We detected prolonged and borderline QTc in 6.4% (19/299, 95% CI: 3.9–9.7%) and 23.4% (70/299, 95% CI:
18.7–28.6%) of participants, respectively. In multivariate models, factors associated with increasing QTc interval were mean
arterial pressure (β=0.34; 95% CI: 0.07–0.63, p=0.019) and female sex (β=15.26; 95% CI: 7.58–22.94, p<0.001).
Conclusions The prevalence of abnormal QTc among individuals in routine diabetes care in southwestern Uganda was high.
Female sex and mean arterial pressure were correlated with QTc interval. Given these findings, future studies should explore the
clinical impact of abnormal QTc in this patient population.
Description
Keywords
QT interval, Prevalence, Diabetes, QTc dispersion, QTc prolongation
Citation
Migisha, R., Agaba, D. C., Katamba, G., Miranda, S. L., Muyingo, A., & Siedner, M. J. (2021). High prevalence of prolonged QTc interval among individuals in ambulatory diabetic care in southwestern Uganda. International journal of diabetes in developing countries, 41(4), 614-620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13410-021-00944-6