The assessment of Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio in patients with morbid obesity before and after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Abstract

Aim: Tp-e/QT ratio is a novel marker of ventricular repolarisation. Obesity has been associated with various cardiovascular changes and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Obesity may be associated with prolongation of the QT interval, which could potentially increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmias. We aimed to research the assessment of Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio before and after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in patients with morbid obesity. Material and Methods: In this study, we enrolled 93 consecutive patients with a BMI >40 kg/m2 or BMI >35kg/m2 with comorbidities who had previously failed to lose weight with conservative methods underwent LSG between January 2012 and December 2016. Results: Heart rate (75.7 ± 4.7 vs. 72.8 ± 11.4; p=0.486), QT interval (358.1 ± 32.0 vs. 362.6 ± 30.4; p=0.399) and QTc interval (399.0 ± 34.3 vs. 396.2 ± 30.9; p=0.621) were similar before and after LSG. Tp-e interval (81.3 ± 11.4 vs. 76.3 ± 10.9; p=0.004), Tp-e/QT ratio (0.23 ± 0.04 vs. 0.21 ± 0.04; p=0.002), Tp-e/QTc ratio (0.20 ± 0.03 vs. 0.19 ± 0.03; p=0.001) were significantly different before and after LSG. Conclusion: Our study showed that morbid obesity may have a negative effect on ventricular repolarization. Substantial weight loss following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in obese patients is accompanied by a significant improvement in ventricular repolarization.