The relationship between left ventricular mass and ventricular late potentials in patients with first acute myocardial infarction

Background: The associations between left ventricular mass (LVM) and the presence of ventricular late potentials (VLPs) in patients with first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have not been well described. Methods and results: In 48 hypertensive patients with first AMI, signal-averaged electrocardiography analysis and echocardiographic examination after admission to the hospital were performed. Twenty-four patients had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and 24 patients had normal LVM. In patients with LVH, LVMI correlated significantly with fQRS and HFLA (r=0.53 and r=0.29, p<0.05, respectively). Although the prevalence of VF episodes was higher in LVH-group when compared to subjects without LVH, this difference did not reach the statistical power (11 (45%) in LVH group versus 7(29%) without LVH, p=NS). Conclusion: According to this study, in hypertensive AMI-patients with higher value of LVH detected with echocardiography, LVH might serve as a possible contributing factor to the development of VLPs and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.