Prevalence of QTc Prolongation in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease. Assessment of the Effects of Drugs, Clinical Risk Factors and Used Correction Formula

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a possible risk factor for corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation. PD patients frequently take QTc-prolonging drugs. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of QTc prolongation in PD and the influence of drugs and other potential risk factors on the QTc length in PD. Methods: 101 patients with PD and a good quality ECG were included in the study. The prolonged QTc was defined as ≥450 ms for men and ≥460 ms for women. Bazett’s (QTcB) and Framingham (QTcF) formulas were utilized to calculate QTc. Data about sex, age, PD duration, disease’s severity, comorbidities and QTc-prolonging drugs were collected. Multiple linear regressions with backward elimination were used to assess factors influencing the QTc. Results: A long QTc was presented in 13 patients (12.9%) for QTcB and 4 patients (4%) for QTcF. Longer QTc in PD patients was associated with older age, male sex and QTc-prolonging drugs regardless of the used formula. The QTcB was also significantly affected by the heart rate (HR). Conclusion: QTc prolongation is common in PD. Age, drugs and male gender are potential risk factors for QTc prolongation in PD.