Association between primary care electrocardiogram markers and Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: The association between common electrocardiogram (ECG) markers and Alzheimer's disease has been scarcely investigated, and it is unknown if ECG markers can improve risk prediction. Thus, we aimed to examine the association between common ECG markers and Alzheimer's disease in a large population.

Methods: We studied the association between ECG markers and Alzheimer's disease using Cox models with adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities using a large primary care population of patients aged 60 years or more.

Electrocardiographic P terminal force in lead V1, its components, and the association with stroke and atrial fibrillation or flutter.

Background: The electrocardiographic (ECG) marker P terminal force V1 (PTFV1) is generally perceived as a marker of left atrial pathology and has been associated with atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between PTFV1 components (duration and amplitude) and incident AF and stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Methods: The study included patients with an ECG recorded at the Copenhagen General Practitioners Laboratory in 2001 to 2011.

Associations between primary care electrocardiography and non-Alzheimer dementia.

Objectives: To determine whether electrocardiogram (ECG) markers are associated with incident non-Alzheimer's dementia (non-AD) and whether these markers also improve risk prediction for non-AD.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively included 170,605 primary care patients aged 60 years or older referred for an ECG by their general practitioner and followed them for a median of 7.6 years.

Polygenic risk score for ACE-inhibitor-associated cough based on the discovery of new genetic loci.

Aims: To search for sequence variants associated with ACEi discontinuation and to test their association with ACEi-associated adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Methods And Results: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) on ACEi discontinuation was conducted, including 33 959 ACEi-discontinuers and 44 041 controls. Cases were defined as persons who switched from an ACEi treatment to an angiotensin receptor blocker.

Fascicular heart blocks and risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes: Results from a large primary care population.

Background: Fascicular heart blocks can progress to complete heart blocks, but this risk has not been evaluated in a large general population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between various types of fascicular blocks diagnosed by electrocardiographic (ECG) readings and the risk of incident higher degree atrioventricular block (AVB), syncope, pacemaker implantation, and death.

Methods: We studied primary care patients referred for ECG recording between 2001 and 2015.

Electrocardiographic T-wave morphology and risk of mortality.

Background: Electrocardiographic T-wave morphology is used in drug safety studies as an adjunct to the QT interval, but few measurements of T-wave morphology can be interpreted in clinical practice. Morphology combination score (MCS) is a combination of T-wave flatness/peakedness, asymmetry, and notching, enabling easy visual assessment of T-wave morphology. We aimed to test the association between T-wave morphology, quantified by MCS, and mortality.

Electrocardiography in euthyroid individuals: a Danish general population study.

Background: Thyroid hormones within the euthyroid range have been linked to mortality and differences in heart rate. However, some relations between thyroid hormone concentration and various electrocardiographic measurements remain unassessed. We aimed to investigate the association between thyroid hormone concentrations within the euthyroid range and different electrocardiographic markers in people free of thyroid disease.

Early glycaemic changes after initiation of oral antidiabetic medication and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events: results from a large primary care population of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: To determine the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and death, associated with an early large and rapid decline in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) following first time initiation of an oral antidiabetic drug (OAD).

Methods And Results: We included 10 518 primary care patients with type 2 diabetes, who initiated an OAD for the first time. For each individual, we measured a decline in HbA1C, as the difference between the pre-treatment HbA1C (within 3 months before OAD initiation) and the post-treatment HbA1C (within 1.

Effect of diabetes duration on the relationship between glycaemic control and risk of death in older adults with type 2 diabetes.

Aim: To investigate the effect of diabetes duration on glycaemic control, measured using mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level, and mortality risk within different age, sex and clinically relevant, comorbidity-defined subgroups in an elderly population with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: We studied older (≥65 years) primary care patients with T2D, who had three successive annual measurements of HbA1c taken between 2005 and 2013. The primary exposure was the mean of all three HbA1c measurements.

Prevalence and risk factors of prolonged QT interval and electrocardiographic abnormalities in persons living with HIV.

Objective: Abnormal ECGs are associated with increased risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of prolonged QTc and major ECG abnormalities, in persons living with HIV (PLWH) and uninfected controls.

Design: PLWH aged at least 40 years were recruited from the Copenhagen comorbidity in HIV infection (COCOMO) study and matched on sex and age to uninfected controls from the Copenhagen General Population Study.

Clinical implications of electrocardiographic bundle branch block in primary care.

Objectives: Electrocardiographic bundle branch block (BBB) is common but the prognostic implications in primary care are unclear. We sought to investigate the relationship between electrocardiographic BBB subtypes and the risk of cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in a primary care population free of major CV disease.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of primary care patients referred for electrocardiogram (ECG) recording between 2001 and 2011.

Genome-wide association study identifies locus at chromosome 2q32.1 associated with syncope and collapse.

Aims: Syncope is a common condition associated with frequent hospitalization or visits to the emergency department. Family aggregation and twin studies have shown that syncope has a heritable component. We investigated whether common genetic variants predispose to syncope and collapse.

Visit-to-Visit Variability of Hemoglobin A in People Without Diabetes and Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality.

Objective: We aimed to study whether visit-to-visit variability of glycated hemoglobin A (HbA) is associated with incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), all-cause mortality, and type 2 diabetes in people without diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: We included primary care patients with no history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease and with three annual HbA measurements within normal range (<6.5% [48 mmol/mol]).

Biobank-driven genomic discovery yields new insight into atrial fibrillation biology.

To identify genetic variation underlying atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia, we performed a genome-wide association study of >1,000,000 people, including 60,620 atrial fibrillation cases and 970,216 controls. We identified 142 independent risk variants at 111 loci and prioritized 151 functional candidate genes likely to be involved in atrial fibrillation. Many of the identified risk variants fall near genes where more deleterious mutations have been reported to cause serious heart defects in humans (GATA4, MYH6, NKX2-5, PITX2, TBX5), or near genes important for striated muscle function and integrity (for example, CFL2, MYH7, PKP2, RBM20, SGCG, SSPN).

Brugada Syndrome-Associated Genetic Loci Are Associated With J-Point Elevation and an Increased Risk of Cardiac Arrest.

A previous genome-wide association study found three genetic loci, rs9388451, rs10428132, and rs11708996, to increase the risk of Brugada Syndrome (BrS). Since the effect of these loci in the general population is unknown, we aimed to investigate the effect on electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters and outcomes in the general population. A cohort of 6,161 individuals (median age 45 [interquartile range (IQR) 40-50] years, 49% males), with available digital ECGs, was genotyped and subsequently followed for a median period of 13 [IQR 12.

Risk Prediction of Atrial Fibrillation Based on Electrocardiographic Interatrial Block.

Background: The electrocardiographic interatrial block (IAB) has been associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to test whether IAB can improve risk prediction of AF for the individual person.

Methods And Results: Digital ECGs of 152 759 primary care patients aged 50 to 90 years were collected from 2001 to 2011.

Electrocardiographic Preexcitation and Risk of Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality: Results From the Copenhagen ECG Study.

Background: The majority of available data on the clinical course of patients with ventricular preexcitation in the ECG originates from tertiary centers. We aimed to investigate long-term outcomes in individuals from a primary care population with electrocardiographic preexcitation.

Methods And Results: Digital ECGs from 328 638 primary care patients were collected during 2001 to 2011.

Electrocardiographic PR Interval Duration and Cardiovascular Risk: Results From the Copenhagen ECG Study.

Background: Because of ambiguous reports in the literature, we aimed to investigate the association between PR interval and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death, heart failure, and pacemaker implantation, allowing for a nonlinear relationship.

Methods: We included 293,111 individuals, corresponding to one-third of the population in the greater region of Copenhagen. These individuals had a digital electrocardiogram recorded in a general practitioner's core facility from 2001-2011.

Numerous Brugada syndrome-associated genetic variants have no effect on J-point elevation, syncope susceptibility, malignant cardiac arrhythmia, and all-cause mortality.

Purpose: We investigated whether Brugada syndrome (BrS)-associated variants identified in the general population have an effect on J-point elevation as well as whether carriers of BrS variants were more prone to experience syncope and malignant ventricular arrhythmia and had increased mortality compared with noncarriers.

Methods: All BrS-associated variants were identified using the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD). Individuals were randomly selected from a general population study using whole-exome sequencing data (n = 870) and genotype array data (n = 6,161) and screened for BrS-associated variants.

Association Between Heart Rate at Rest and Incident Atrial Fibrillation (from the Copenhagen Electrocardiographic Study).

Heart rate (HR) at rest is a well-known marker of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Results on the association between HR and incident atrial fibrillation (AF) have, however, been conflicting. Using digital electrocardiograms from 281,451 primary care patients, we aimed to describe the association between HR at rest and the hazards of incident AF.

Electrocardiographic Tpeak-Tend interval and risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality: Results from the Copenhagen ECG study.

Background: The electrocardiographic Tpeak-Tend interval is considered a novel risk marker of cardiac arrhythmias and cardiovascular death; however, results to date have been conflicting.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between this interval and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, allowing for nonlinear relationships.

Methods: From primary care, 138,404 individuals were included and categorized into seven groups based on Tpeak-Tend interval.