Race and gender variation in the QT interval and its association with mortality in patients with coronary artery disease: Results from the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease (DDCD)

Abstract

Background: In several studies, prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval has been associated with an increased risk of cardiac events. However, data on race and gender variation in the QTc and its associated risk of death are lacking. Methods: We prospectively followed 19,252 subjects who underwent cardiac catheterization and had at least 1 native coronary artery stenosis ≥ 75%. Automated QTc measurements were obtained from a baseline electrocardiogram. Results: The mean age of the population was 62.4 years, with 35% being female and 20% being black. The QTc varied by gender and race (417.9 ± 34.4 ms in men and 433.4 ± 33.6 ms in women, 422.1 ± 34.3 ms in whites and 428.1 ± 36.9 ms in blacks; P