First-degree atrioventricular block in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients: an easy and worthy prognostic marker?

Submitted: December 1, 2023
Accepted: February 15, 2024
Published: March 6, 2024
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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiac disease. Recently, a connection has been observed between the presence of first-degree atrioventricular block (FDAVB) and cardiovascular outcomes, although the pathophysiology of this association remains poorly understood. Considering the period 2000-2023, we retrospectively included HCM patients at sinus rhythm at the first appointment and sought possible interactions of FDAVB (defined as PR interval >200 ms) with different clinical and imaging variables and with the occurrence of cardiovascular events, including atrial fibrillation (AF). A total of 97 patients were included, of whom 57 (58.8%) were men, with a mean age of 51±19 years, and 14 (14.4%) had FDAVB. During a median of 4.29 (P25 1.92, P75 7.67) years of follow-up, 35 cardiovascular events occurred, including 13 de novo diagnoses of AF, 8 hospitalizations due to heart failure, 8 new-onset strokes, 4 myocardial infarctions, and 2 implantations of cardio defibrillators in secondary prevention; no HCM-related death occurred. We did not find any association between outcomes and the presence of FDAVB. The role of FDAVB as a prognostic marker in HCM patients requires further investigation. We found that FDAVB patients were older, more frequently reported dyspnea, had a larger QRS duration, a higher E/e' ratio, and lower maximal left ventricle wall thickness by magnetic resonance (p<0.05). After multivariable analysis, FDAVB was independently associated with a higher echocardiographic E/e' ratio (p=0.039) (odds ratio=1.588). This is the first paper to document an independent association between FGAVB and a higher E/e' ratio in HCM patients.

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Ethics Approval

The research protocol was approved by the Hospital do São João Ethics Committee (reference number: CE-275-22) and patients’ consent was acquired. The study was performed according to the recommendations of the Helsinki Declaration.

How to Cite

Amador, Ana Filipa, Catarina Martins da Costa, João da Silva Santos, Cláudia Camila Dias, and Elisabete Martins. 2024. “First-Degree Atrioventricular Block in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients: An Easy and Worthy Prognostic Marker?”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease, March. https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2024.2860.