Kadappa Jaligidad1, Ajinkya Dilip Auti2, Appu Patil3
BACKGROUND
Deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system like alcoholic cardiomyopathy and
severe heart failure has been seen in those who are having chronic or heavy
alcohol consumption. Majority of the clinical studies were based on selected group
of patients like severe heart failure, as compared to that, the study among
asymptomatic alcoholics were not well studied. Chronic and heavy alcohol
consumption leads to adverse effects like arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and
life-threatening re-entrant ventricular arrhythmias which can be predicted by
studying QTc interval. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of
alcohol dependence on QTc interval.
METHODS
This is a Hospital based case control study conducted among patients admitted in
SNMC & HSK hospital with diagnosis as Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS)
according to International classification of diseases (ICD) 10 criteria from October
2020 to December 2020. 30 alcohol dependence cases and 30 age matched
controls above 18 years of age were selected. The ECG was recorded in lying down
and resting position. The ECG results were analysed for QTc interval. Sample size
estimation was done using open epi Software version 2.3.1.
RESULTS
Among the 30 cases, 53.3 % had prolonged QTc interval. Out of these, 11 were
in the age group of 18 - 35 years, 17 were in 36 - 55 years while 2 were in the
age group > 55 years while in 30 controls only 1 had prolonged QTc in the age
group of 36 - 55 years.
CONCLUSIONS
A prolonged QTc interval was observed in 16 out of 30 cases which provides the
evidence, that prolonged QTc interval was significant in alcohol dependence
patients. Hence, early detection of ECG changes like prolonged QTc interval will
help in preventing the adverse cardiovascular events and comorbidities associated
with it.
