TITLE:
Correlation between Age and Electrical Axes of the Heart in Adult Nigerians
AUTHORS:
Peter Ekpunobi Chime, Wilfred Okwudili Okenwa, Bibiana Oti
KEYWORDS:
P Frontal Axis, T Frontal Axis, QRS Frontal axis, Frontal QRS-T Angle
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.10 No.11,
November
16,
2020
ABSTRACT: Background: P wave
axis, QRS axis, T wave axis and QRS-T angle have prognostic values on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, yet the effect of age on
these important electrocardiographic parameters has not been well studied in adult
Nigerians, knowing that some electrocardiographic parameters are affected by age. Objectives: This study was aimed at determining
the effect of age on P frontal axis, QRS frontal axis, T frontal axis and frontal
QRS-T angle among
adult Nigerians. Methods: This was a retrospective study in which P frontal axis,
QRS frontal axis and T frontal axis of adult patients who attended a university
teaching hospital were determined from 12-lead ECG. Frontal QRS-T angle was calculated
as the absolute difference between the QRS frontal axis and T wave frontal axis.
The electrical axes and QRS-T angle were correlated with age. Results: There were 85 cases aged between 20 and 66 years, which included 42 males
and 43 females. P frontal axis correlated positively and non-significantly with
age (r = -0.032, p = 0.773), QRS frontal axis correlated negatively and significantly
with age (r = -0.295, p = 0.006),
T frontal axis correlated negatively and non-significantly with age (r = -0.002, p = 0.984), while frontal QRS-T angle correlated
negatively and significantly with age (r = -0.266, p = 0.014). Conclusion: There were significant age related changes in both QRS frontal axis and frontal
QRS-T angle. No significant age related changes were found in P frontal axis and
T frontal axis.