The influence of beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists on T-wave alternans in patients with and without ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Background: T-wave alternans (TWA) is an important noninvasive measurement of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) and is known to be influenced by the sympathetic nervous system. We examined the correlation between TWA measurement and the sympathetic nervous system in patients with and without VT.

Methods And Results: Thirty-five patients (28 men, 7 women; mean age, 59 +/- 15 years) with tachyarrhythmia were assigned to two groups: VT group (n = 15) and supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT) group (n = 20).