Adebayo R.A., Ikwu A.N., Balogun M.O., Akintomide A.O., Mene-Afejuku T.O., Adeyeye V.O., Bamikole O.J., Bisiriyu L.A., Ajayi O.E., Ogunyemi S.A., Oketona O.A.
Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria
Adebayo, R.A., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Ikwu, A.N., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Balogun, M.O., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Akintomide, A.O., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Mene-Afejuku, T.O., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Adeyeye, V.O., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Bamikole, O.J., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Bisiriyu, L.A., Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Ajayi, O.E., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Ogunyemi, S.A., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria; Oketona, O.A., Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, lle-lfe, Osun State, Nigeria
Background: There are very limited published studies in Nigeria on the use of 24 hour Holter electrocardiogram (Holter ECG) in the arrhythmic evaluation of hypertensive and diabetic patients.Objective: To evaluate indications, arrhythmic pattern of Holter ECG, and heart rate variability (HRV) among patients with hypertensive heart disease (HHD) with or without heart failure and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) seen in our cardiac care unit.Methods: Seventy-nine patients (32 males and 47 females) were studied consecutively over a year using Schiller type (MT-101) Holter ECG machine.Results: Out of the 79 patients, 17 (21.5%) had HHD without heart failure, 33 (41.8%) had HHD with hypertensive heart failure (HHF), while 29 (36.7%) were T2DM patients. The mean (standard deviation) ages of HHD without heart failure, HHF and T2DM patients were 59.65 (±14.38), 65.15 (±14.30), and 54.66 (±8.88) respectively. The commonest indication for Holter ECG was palpitation (38%), followed by syncope (20.3%). Premature ventricular contraction was the commonest arrhythmic pattern among the 79 patients, especially among HHF patients. The HRV using standard deviation of all normal-normal intervals was significantly reduced inT2DM patients (81.03±26.33, confidence interval [CI] =71.02–91.05) compared to the HHD without heart failure (119.65±29.86, CI =104.30–135.00) and HHF (107.03±62.50, CI =84.00–129.19). There was a negative correlation between the duration of T2DM and HRV (r=–0.613).Conclusion: Palpitation was the commonest Holter ECG indication and premature ventricular contractions were the commonest arrhythmic pattern among our patients. HRV was reduced in T2DM patients compared with hypertensive patients. © 2014 Adebayo et al.