A new approach to the electrocardiographic detection of ventricular repolarization abnormalities in patients with diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is associated with the high risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Early diagnosis of life-threatening conditions remains obscured. In the present clinical study, the T-wave amplitude in patients with diabetes mellitus was examined in unipolar precordial ECG leads. We observed the flattening of the T-wave and the reduction of the T-wave amplitude dispersion in the leads suggested. This may reflect a decrease of apicobasal gradient of ventricular repolarization in diabetic patients. Multiple regression analysis showed that the T-wave amplitude dispersion was independent of age, type of diabetes, presence of hypertension and can be used for the evaluation of ventricular repolarization pattern in diabetes.