Analysis of gender differences in spectral characteristics of heart rate and QT dispersion in young alcohol-dependent patients

The aim of the paper is to study gender differences in spectral characteristics of heart rate and Q-Tcd dispersion in young alcohol-dependent patients. Materials and Methods. The authors examined 60 patients: 30 men and 30 women, their average age was 36.00 (33.75-40.00) and 37.50 (33.75-41.25) years old, respectively. The control group was composed of healthy individuals: 15 men aged 35.00 (29.00-39.00) years old and 15 women aged 31.00 (28.0040.00) years old. Evaluation of heart rate variability was carried out on a high-resolution ECG apparatus "Poly-Spectrum 8/EX" (Russia), 5-minute recordings were made with further sampling of spectral heart rate indicators. Q-Tcd and QTc dispersion was assessed using a high-resolution ECG device "Poly-Spectrum 8/EX" (Russia) in 12 standard leads lasting 10 seconds each. Agilent 6850 chromograph (USA) was used to estimate blood ethanol concentration. Results. The data on the frequency and severity of the heterogeneity of ventricular myocardium repolarization indicated that men and women with Q-Tcd >70 ms in acute and withdrawal periods dominated over those with borderline Q-Tcd values. The acute period was characterized by a larger number of males with Q-Tcd dispersion >50 ms if compared with women. During the withdrawal period, the number of patients with pathological Q-Tcd dispersion increased. Moreover, the pathology was more obvious in males. There was also a significant decrease in all spectral characteristics of the heart rate in alcohol-dependent patients in the acute and withdrawal periods against the predominance of the sympathetic component (low-frequency heart rate fluctuations) over the parasympathetic one (high-frequency heart rate fluctuations). Conclusions. Alcohol excess in young patients without overt cardiac pathology is accompanied by a decrease in spectral characteristics of heart rate variability and an increase in the QT dispersion. Alcohol-dependent men have more pronounced abnormalities of the repolarization processes than alcohol-dependent women. Gender analysis of spectral parameters shows an equally directional decrease in parameters in alcohol-dependent men and women in comparison with the control group.