QT dispersion and cardiac involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To investigate the dispersion of repolarization variables in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Electrocardiography (ECG) and Doppler echocardiography were performed on 40 patients with RA. which were divided into two groups according to the duration of disease and in 48 healthy controls. Results: All patients had significantly longer QT dispersion (QTd) and corrected QT dispersion (QTc-d) values (p < 0.05). The mean values or diastolic function variables were significantly different in all patients compared to healthy controls ( p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between patient groups in terms of diastolic function variables except IVRT. However. QTd and QTc-d were significantly longer in patients with disease duration over 5 years (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that repolarization heterogeneity and diastolic dysfunction are commonly seen in RA, and QTd is significantly longer in those patients with a disease duration over 5 years compared to those with new onset RA.