0000000000459718
AUTHOR
Victor M. Johnson
P-Wave Indices: Derivation of Reference Values from the Framingham Heart Study
P wave indices constitute an intermediate, phenotype reflecting the impact of ischemic, metabolic and inflammatory insults on atrial electrophysiology and morphology. Measured from the surface electrocardiogram (ECG), they reflect dimensions of atrial depolarization and are modified by conditions that alter atrial conduction, atrial refractoriness, or may result in a proarrhythmic substrate. The P wave indices of duration and dispersion have most commonly been measured. An array of studies have utilized these P wave indices to distinguish subjects with diverse cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular conditions and diseases from healthy reference groups.(1) Computerized software has more recen…
P wave duration and risk of longitudinal atrial fibrillation in persons ≥ 60 years old (from the Framingham Heart Study).
Long-term risk prediction is a priority for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF). P wave indices are electrocardiographic measurements describing atrial conduction. The role of P wave indices in the prospective determination of AF and mortality risk has had limited assessment. We quantified by digital caliper the P wave indices of maximum duration and dispersion in 1,550 Framingham Heart Study participants ≥ 60 years old (58% women) from single-channel electrocardiograms recorded from 1968 through 1971. We examined the association of selected P wave indices and long-term outcomes using Cox proportional hazards regression incorporating age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood press…