Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Oct;7(5):806-12.
doi: 10.5114/aoms.2011.25555. Epub 2011 Nov 8.

The effect of diabetic autonomic neuropathy on P-wave duration, dispersion and atrial fibrillation

Andrzej Bissinger  1 , Tomasz Grycewicz, Wlodzimierz Grabowicz, Andrzej Lubinski
Affiliations

The effect of diabetic autonomic neuropathy on P-wave duration, dispersion and atrial fibrillation

Andrzej Bissinger et al. Arch Med Sci. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) is a frequent complication of diabetes mellitus and has a negative impact on the cardiovascular system. There are no data about the occurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in the population with DAN.

Material and methods: We analysed the data of 100 patients with PAF. The study population was divided into three groups: group I: 28 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and DAN, group II: 34 patients with DM without DAN, and group III: 38 patients without DM. P-wave duration (FPD) and dispersion (PWD) were measured during sinus rhythm and AF episodes were counted during 12 months of follow-up.

Results: Recurrence of PAF was higher in group I (47 episodes/year) compared to groups II and III (26 and 22 episodes/year) - p<0.01. The FPD was longer in group I (137.4 ±12.0 ms vs. 126 ±23.0 ms in II group and 129 ±18.3 ms in group III; p<0.001). The PWD was longer in patients with DAN (53 ±19 ms vs. 36 ±18 ms and 34 ± 20 ms, p<0.001).

Conclusions: The results showed that the presence of DAN caused a significant increase in P-wave duration and dispersion, which might be responsible for the recurrence of AF.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation; autonomic nervous system; diabetes mellitus; electrophysiology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Example of P-wave dispersion (PWD) measurement. The longest P-wave is 168 ms in lead II, the shortest P-wave is 107 ms in V1; PWD = 61 ms
Figure 2
Figure 2
Example of P-wave duration measurement. The longest P-wave duration is 168 ms in lead II
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kannel WB, Abbott RD, Savage DD, McNamara PM. Coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation: the Framingham Study. Am Heart J. 1983;106:389–96. - PubMed
    1. Kannel WB, Wolf PA, Benjamin EJ, Levy D. Prevalence, incidence, prognosis, and predisposing conditions for atrial fibrillation: population-based estimates. Am J Cardiol. 1998;82:2N–9N. - PubMed
    1. Vinik AI, Maser RE, Mitchell BD, Freeman R. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Diabetes Care. 2003;26:1553–79. - PubMed
    1. Chen HS, Hwu CM, Kuo BI, et al. Abnormal cardiovascular reflex tests are predictors of mortality in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabet Med. 2001;18:268–73. - PubMed
    1. Dilaveris PE, Gialafos EJ, Sideris SK, et al. Simple electrocardiographic markers for the prediction of paroxysmal idiopathic atrial fibrillation. Am Heart J. 1998;135:733–8. - PubMed