Prolonged ECG monitoring detects relevant arrhythmias in HCM

Prolonged ECG monitoring led to the detection of significantly more arrhythmias in patients with non-high-risk hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) than in standard ECG monitoring. This was the main result of the TEMPO-HCM study.

The prospective, observational, multicentre TEMPO-HCM study assessed whether extended ECG monitoring (30 days) resulted in the detection of more relevant arrhythmias than standard 24-hour monitoring in patients with non-high-risk HCM [1]. The relevant arrhythmias were atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). All included patients underwent 30-day ECG monitoring. Dr Juan Caro-Codón (La Paz University Hospital, Spain) presented the results of the first 100 patients.

In the first 24 hours of monitoring, the detection rate of relevant arrhythmias was 11%, whereas 30 days of monitoring resulted in a detection rate of 65% (P<0.001). The effect of prolonged monitoring was mainly driven by increased detection of NSVTs, with 8% in 24 hours and 62% in 30 days (P<0.001). Dr Caro Codón added that there were 6 cases of AF detected after 24 hours and an additional 4 cases after 30 days. “Although this result did not reach statistical significance, prolonged monitoring may have a role in the detection of AF in patients with HCM,” he said. Finally, Dr Caro-Codón emphasised that approximately 60% of the included patients have NSVT, which warrants further investigation into its role as a risk factor for sudden cardiac death.

1. 1. Caro-Codón J, et al. Extended ECG monitoring in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: the TEMPO-HCM study. Late-Breaking Science Day 2, EHRA 2023, 16–18 April, Barcelona, Spain.

 

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Posted on 3 May, 20233 May, 2023