14. Ventricular Fibrillation & Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: 14.8 Obesity-Induced Repolarisation Modification: Effect of Weight Loss

uncomplicated obesity is linked to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Dynamic ventricular repolarisation (VR) has been validated in heart failure as a prognostic marker for SCD. We thus sought to assess modification of dynamic VR in obese patients in order to identify a possible mechanism leading to SCD during uncomplicated obesity.

in 40 uncomplicated obese patients and 40 matched controls, we measured static VR assessed by corrected QT interval, QT dispersion and dynamic VR. Dynamic study of VR, a 24 h-Holter EKG based technique, plots QT interval to heart rate and is quantified by the slope of the obtained correlation line for day and night. Among 40 obese patients 20 patients had reassessment of dynamic VR after weight loss induced by gastroplasty.

static VR parameters were similar in both groups but slopes were significantly higher in obese patients during day and night. Weight loss normalised all slopes without affecting static VR.

this study suggests that obesity-induced dynamic VR modification can explain SCD and identify a yet unknown benefit of weight loss.