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Acute effects of electronic cigarette smoking on ventricular repolarization in adults


Vahit Demir
Siho Hidayet
Yaşar Turan
Hüseyin Ede

Abstract

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is constantly increasing. However, the association between e-cigarette use and ventricular arrhythmia is unknown. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the markers of ventricular repolarization such as QT interval, corrected QT (QTc), QT dispersion (QTd), peak-to-end interval of the T wave (Tp-e), corrected Tp-e and Tp-e/QT ratios in e-cigarette users.


Methods: The study population consisted 36 e-cigarette users and 40 healthy subjects. Ventricular repolarization parameters were obtained from 12-lead resting electrocardiogram. Ventricular repolarization parameters of the groups were compared.


Results: Basal demographic and laboratory data were similar in both groups. According to the electrocardiographic parameters, the Tp-e interval, corrected Tp-e, and Tp-e/QT ratio were significantly higher in individuals using e-ciga- rettes than in control subjects [74.9±6.4 milliseconds (ms) vs. 80.1±4.1ms, <0.001; 82.9±7.5 ms vs. 87.8±6.3 ms, p=0.003; 0.20±0.01 vs. 0.21±0.01, p=0.002; respectively].


Conclusion: This is the first study to show the disruption of ventricular repolarization properties in e-cigarette users. E-cig- arette use in terms of public health leads to augmentation of transmural dispersion of repolarization, which may be potential indicator of ventricular arrhythmogenesis.


Keywords: Electronic cigarette; ventricular repolarization; Tp-e interval; Tp-e/QT ratio.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905