QRS and QT Interval Modifications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus imbricates inflammatory processes on their pathophysiology, it could affect cardiac electrophysiology. Cardiac inflammatory process leads electrocardiogram changes. Nevertheless, there are discrepancies about whether it prolongs or decreases waves and intervals such as QRS and QT. Furthermore, QRS dispersion has not been studied. Objective: To identify QRS complex and QT interval modifications in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 59 type 2 diabetic patients selected by non-probabilistic sampling. Electrocardiogram was performed, QRS and QT interval were measured manually by two observers. Dispersion of both variables was calculated to compare with normal values. Results: Two variables showed differences for sex, QRS dispersion was higher in females (45.84), p=0.0001 vs. reference value; QT dispersion (63.12) showed significance difference (p=0.0246) vs. reference value for males. Greater than five years of illness was related to higher QRS values (124.11 vs. 137.28), p=0.005 and corrected QT dispersion (61.81 vs. 78.79), p=0.022. Conclusions: The electrocardiographic differences between sexes may suggest a gender influence. The longer duration of diabetes diseases could increase cardiovascular risk of arrhythmias due to greater QRS duration and corrected QT interval prolongation.