Frontal QRS-T angle is related with hemodynamic significance of coronary artery stenosis in patients with single vessel disease

OBJECTIVE: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement is used to decide the hemodynamic significance of coronary artery lesion. QRS-T angle (QRSTa) is a novel marker of myocardial repolarization abnormality and is affected by obstructive coronary artery disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between QRSTa and coronary FFR measurement in patients with isolated left anterior descending (LAD) artery stenosis. METHODS: A total of 197 patients undergoing FFR measurement for isolated LAD artery stenosis were retrospectively enrolled in the present study. According to FFR value, patients were divided into two groups as 139 patients with normal FFR (>0.80, group 1) and 58 patients with low FFR (≤0.80, group 2). A 12-lead surface electrocardiography of all subjects that had been recorded before performing coronary angiography was evaluated to measure QRSTa, as well as baseline demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: The mean age of group 2 was significantly higher than that of group 1 (61±11 and 64±11, p=0.044). While there were no differences in heart rate, QRS duration, and corrected QT interval between the two groups, QT interval [377 (359–397) and 379 (367–410), p=0.045] and frontal QRSTa [59 (10–120) and 86 (22–132), p<0.001] were higher in group 2. QT interval [odds ratio (OR)=1.046, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.010–1.084, p=0.012] and frontal QRSTa (OR=1.025, 95% CI=1.010–1.041, p=0.001) were found to be independent predictors of low FFR value in multivariate logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: In the present study, FFR measurement was demonstrated to be correlated with wide QRSTa as a noninvasive and easy method. Thus, we suggest that the results of FFR measurement as an invasive modality can be previously predicted with a simple electrocardiographic evaluation, such as QRSTa.