Clinical characteristics of subjects with the Brugada-type electrocardiogram:

INTRODUCTION: The Brugada-type ECG, a terminal r' wave accompanied by ST segment elevation in the right precordial leads, is not a very rare condition. Most of the cases are men in Japan and elsewhere; however, information about the clinical features of these cases is lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics of subjects with the Brugada-type ECG, specifically Japanese men. METHODS AND RESULTS: We extracted male Brugada-type ECG cases from 3,374 men followed biennially from 1958 through 2001 in Nagasaki, Japan, and compared the clinical characteristics at diagnosis between these cases and four age-matched male controls for each case. A total of 34 cases with the Brugada-type ECG were observed during follow-up. Body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis was significantly lower in Brugada-type ECG cases than in 136 controls (20.2 +/- 2.1 kg/m(2) vs 21.8 +/- 2.8 kg/m(2), P = 0.003). The BMI trend in cases was always lower than that in controls throughout the 8-year observation period (from 4 years before diagnosis to 4 years after diagnosis). Pulse rate at diagnosis was also somewhat lower in Brugada-type ECG cases than in controls (68.9 +/- 7.7 beats/min vs 72.7 +/- 11.1 beats/min, P = 0.038). The significance disappeared after controlling for BMI (P = 0.131) or body weight (P = 0.153). CONCLUSION: The cases with the Brugada-type ECG had lower BMI than controls, leading to a clue to possible basic mechanisms of the Brugada-type ECG with a focus on this association.     

Prevalence and prognosis of subjects with Brugada-type ECG pattern in a young and middle-aged Finnish population.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was (1) to determine the prevalence of Brugada syndrome ECG abnormalities ("Brugada sign") in two Finnish populations and (2) to evaluate the natural course of subjects with the "Brugada sign". METHODS AND RESULTS: The study population consisted of 2479 healthy male Air Force applicants (age 18-30 years), and 542 healthy middle-aged subjects (age 40-60 years). All subjects underwent a thorough physical examination and 12-lead ECG in 1980-1990 (first population) and in 1991-1992 (second population). The ECG criteria suggested by the European Society of Cardiology were used to identify subjects with the "Brugada sign". Fifteen (0.61%) subjects in the first population and three subjects in the second population (0.55%) fulfilled the ECG criteria for type 2 or 3 Brugada syndrome, i.e., they had J-point elevation and a saddleback-type ST-segment configuration in the right precordial leads. Type 1 Brugada ECG abnormality (coved ST-segment elevation) was not seen in any subject. No mortality or life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias occurred in either study population during follow-up (19+/-2 years and 11+/-1 years, respectively). CONCLUSION: The benign natural course of the patients with the "Brugada sign" suggests that in asymptomatic subjects without a family history of sudden cardiac death, type 2 or 3 Brugada ECG pattern is a normal variant rather than a specific predictor of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.     

The prevalence and prognosis of a Brugada-type electrocardiogram in a population of middle-aged Japanese-American men with follow-up of three decades

BACKGROUND: The Brugada syndrome is an inherited arrhythmogenic and nonstructural heart disease associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death from ventricular fibrillation. There are conflicting data about its prevalence and prognosis. Particularly, population-based studies are lacking in the United States and other countries. METHODS: A total of 8006 Japanese-American men aged 45 to 68 years participated in the initial examination of the Honolulu Heart Program during the period of 1965 through 1968. After excluding prevalent cases with coronary heart disease, 864 electrocardiograms coded as right bundle branch block were reviewed using the specified criteria for Brugada-type electrocardiogram. Baseline characteristics and the prognosis of Brugada-type electrocardiogram were compared with 5983 control subjects who had electrocardiograms coded as normal at the initial examination. RESULTS: There were 12 typical cases and 11 atypical cases of Brugada-type electrocardiogram at the initial examination (prevalence, 0.15% and 0.14%, respectively). Analysis of baseline characteristics revealed no difference between control cases and either typical or atypical Brugada-type electrocardiogram cases except significantly lower body mass index in subjects with Brugada-type electrocardiogram. During the 30-year follow-up period, none of the subjects died suddenly within 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. Survival analysis revealed no significant difference between case and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Brugada-type electrocardiograms among middle-aged or elderly Japanese-American men are uncommon and are not associated with increased risk of either sudden death or total mortality.     

Pilsicainide-induced coronary vasospasm in a patient with Brugada-type electrocardiogram.

A 65-year-old man with Brugada-type electrocardiogram (ECG) was admitted to our hospital for chest pain, palpitation and faintness. In the cardiac electrophysiological study, no ventricular tachyarrthymia was induced either at baseline or after pilsicainide (50 mg) infusion. Intravenous administration of pilsicainide exaggerated ST-segment elevation in V(1-4) and converted it to the coved type in V(1), accompanied by severe chest pain. Coronary angiography revealed the vasospasm of the right coronary artery was induced by pilsicainide, not by ergonovine. This is the first case report of coronary vasospasm induced by a pure sodium channel blocker in a patient with Brugada-type ECG.     

Low prevalence of Brugada-type electrocardiogram in a prospective large cohort of Egyptians

BackgroundBrugada syndrome is a cardiac channelopathy that is associated with a high risk of VF and SCD and characterized by ECG pattern of transient or persistent, coved type ST-segment elevation in leads V₁–V₃.AimTo prospectively determine the prevalence of Brugada-type ECG pattern (Brugada sign) among unselected non cardiac individuals served at Cairo university teaching-hospital.MethodsThis study was conducted from October 2011 to September 2012, and included 4000 unselected noncardiac individuals (2078 males 52%, mean age 39 ± 14.44 years) admitted or presented to our hospital for different reasons. A 12-lead ECG was recorded for each of them; these ECGs were reviewed independently by two electrophysiologists for criteria of the three types of Brugada ECG pattern, and diagnosis of Brugada sign was made when both investigators agreed on the classification of the ECG findings according to the criteria of the Consensus Report of the Study Group of the Molecular Basis of Arrhythmia of the European Society of Cardiology.ResultsTwenty-two (0.55%) subjects had Brugada ECG pattern. All of them were of Mediterranean ethnic group. 18 males (0.45%), and 4 females (0.1%). No subjects showed type-1, while 11 (0.275%) of the 22 subjects had type-2, and the other 11 had type-3 Brugada ECG pattern. Eight cases (0.2%) among the 22 subjects were between 10 and 24 years old. Of the 22 subjects, 4 cases (18.2%) were symptomatic (palpitation and syncope), and 3 cases (13%) had positive F.H of SCD.ConclusionThe frequency of type-1 Brugada-type ECG pattern was 0%, while type-2 and type-3 (saddleback type) was 0.55% among Egyptian hospital-based population, and it was more prevalent in middle-aged males.     

Prevalence of right bundle-branch block and right precordial ST-segment elevation (Brugada-type electrocardiogram) in Japanese children.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Brugada-type electrocardiogram (ECG) in schoolchildren remains unclear. This study aimed to further investigate this condition. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied the prevalence of Brugada-type ECG in 20,387 children (10,434 males and 9,953 females, 9.7 +/- 3.2 [SD] years old) during a school health examination in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, in 2002. We considered right bundle-branch block and ST-segment elevation of the J point of > or =0.1 mV in leads V1 through V3 as Brugada-like ECG, and an ECG was considered to be Brugada-type when the 12-lead ECG fully meet the criteria for the Brugada syndrome as recently published in a consensus report. Only 2 children (0.0098%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0 to 0.023%) completely conformed to the criteria for Brugada-type ECG. Brugada-like ECG was found in 11 (10 male) of 20,387 children (0.054%, 95% CI: 0.022 to 0.086%). The prevalence in males was significantly higher than that in females, even in children (0.096% vs 0.010%, p=0.012). Stratified according to age, there was tendency for the prevalence of Brugada-like ECG to increase up to puberty (first graders, 0.01%; fourth graders, 0.05%; seventh graders, 0.08%; tenth graders, 0.23%; p=0.068). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of Brugada-type ECG in Japanese children was much lower than that reported in the adult population.     

Prognosis in patients with a strongly positive exercise electrocardiogram

In patients with a strongly positive exercise electro-cardiogram, the workload achieved during the test allows the identification of subsets with good or poor survival rates. To determine whether the same criteria also predict acute ischemic heart events such as unstable angina and myocardial infarction, fatal and nonfatal acute manifestations were documented in 241 patients medically treated during an 8-year follow-up. All patients had a Bruce protocol treadmill exercise test with ST-segment depression greater than or equal to 2 mm and coronary angiographic studies. There were 52 deaths; of these 44 were due to coronary artery disease. There were 41 episodes of unstable angina and 21 myocardial infarcts documented as first morbid events. As expected, survival improved with increased workload achieved; patients terminating their exercise at stage I (5.1 METs) had an 8-year survival rate of 45 +/- 9% while those reaching stage IV or more (10 METs) had a survival rate of 93 +/- 6%. In a multivariate analysis, the duration of exercise and the number of narrowed coronary arteries and of left ventricular segment abnormalities correlated significantly with survival. In contrast, nonfatal acute events occurred in about 20 to 35% of patients whatever the stage of the exercise test. Furthermore, neither variables during the exercise test nor angiographic findings predicted nonfatal events. Thus, although the workload achieved did identify patients with different mortality rates, it failed to predict subsets of patients with different morbid event rates.     

Prevalence and mortality of the Brugada-type electrocardiogram in one city in Japan

OBJECTIVES: We sought to study the prevalence and mortality of subjects exhibiting the Brugada-type electrocardiogram (ECG) in a community-based population in Japan. BACKGROUND: The Brugada syndrome has been associated with sudden death in subjects without structural heart disease. Hospital-based studies showed 11% to 38% annual fatal arrhythmic events in patients with the Brugada syndrome. METHODS: Prevalence and mortality of the Brugada-type ECG were studied in subjects who had ECGs during a health examination in Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan. Information about death and relocation from Moriguchi city was obtained prospectively. RESULTS: The Brugada-type ECG was found in 98 of 13,929 study subjects (0.70%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57% to 0.86%). The typical coved-type with an rsR' pattern in V(1) lead ("typical" Brugada-type) was found in 0.12% of subjects (95% CI: 0.07% to 0.20%). The prevalence for male subjects with the Brugada-type ECG (81%) was significantly higher than it was for those without (26%, p < 0.0001). In male subjects, the Brugada-type ECG was found in 2.14% (95% CI: 1.70% to 2.66%), and the "typical" Brugada-type was found in 0.38% (95% CI: 0.21% to 0.64%). After 2.6 +/- 0.3 years of follow-up, there was 1 death (1.0%, 95% CI: 0.03% to 5.6%) of a subject with the Brugada-type ECG, whereas there were 139 deaths (1.0%, 95% CI: 0.85% to 1.2%) of those without the Brugada-type ECG (p = 0.9943, log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of the Brugada-type ECG were observed in subjects in a community-based population in Japan, especially in men. The total mortality of subjects with the Brugada-type ECG did not differ from the mortality of those without the Brugada-type ECG in a community-based population.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情下中老年人的心理健康状况

目的研究中老年人在新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)疫情下心理健康状况及其影响因素。方法采用在线问卷方法调查全国范围内50~65岁的中老年人心理健康状态,问卷内容包括心理健康自评问卷(SRQ-20)、健康问卷抑郁量表(PHQ-9)、广泛性焦虑障碍量表(GAD-7)和失眠严重程度指数量表(ISI),分别用以评估应激反应、抑郁情绪、焦虑情绪、睡眠障碍状态。采用SPSS 20.0软件进行统计分析。多重线性回归分析相关因素对疫情下中老年人心理健康状态的影响。结果有效回收问卷1501份(nSRQ-20=1377,nPHQ-9=1241,nGAD-7=1204,nISI=1209),经分析发现24.5%出现了心理应激,18.5%表现出中重度抑郁状态,10.7%表现出中重度焦虑状态,10.8%表现出中重度失眠。多重线性回归分析显示,身体健康状况、对疫情的担忧、教育程度和年龄对疫情下中老年人心理健康状态的影响较大,4个因素在PHQ-9、GAD-7、SRQ-20及ISI模型中的决定系数R2分别为0.190、0.176、0.232和0.137,其中以身体健康状况最为显著,标准化β值依次为0.374、0.368、0.406、0.322(均P<0.01)。进一步分析不同健康状况(良好、一般及欠佳3组)间心理状态的差异,发现3组在应激反应、抑郁、焦虑、睡眠4个维度上的差异具有统计学意义(P<0.001)。结论中老年人在此次COVID-19疫情下较平时更易出现心理健康问题,身体健康情况差者心理健康问题更明显。     

Age and sex differences in the P-wave signal-averaged electrocardiogram in a Japanese study population

Normal P wave signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAE) values were determined in 120 healthy Japanese adults (56 men, 64 women), aged 44.5+/-10.2 years (mean+/-SD). The P wave trigger method was used with a Fukuda FDX6500 recorder. We used bipolar Frank leads (X,Y,Z), and recordings were made with forward and backward digital Butterworth filters [40 Hz (18 dB / oct) - 300 Hz (12 dB / oct)]. The recordings were taken for the following five parameters: forward and backward filtered P wave duration [fPd (F); tPd (B)]; bidirectionally corrected fPd [tPd (C)]; and 20 ms of the terminal portions of voltage at forward and backward filtering (RMS20). Overall, fPd (F) was 117.8-136.4 ms, fPd (B) 116.4-134.4 ms, fPd (C) 97.4-115.2 ms, RMS20 (F) 1.6-3.6 microV, and RMS20 (B) was 2.2-5.4 microV. Between the sexes, there were significant differences in fPd (F) (p<0.001) and fPd (B) (p<0.01) and in RMS20 (F) (p<0.05) and RMS20 (B) (p<0.05). Weak positive correlations were observed between fPd (F) and body surface area, fPd (F) and age, fPd (B) and body surface area, fPd (B) and age, fPd (C) and body surface area, and fPd (C) and age. There was no evident correlation, however, between either forward or backward RMS20 and body surface area or between forward or backward RMS20 and age. Differences in the normal P wave values between the sexes and age groups were evaluated in this study.     

17 871名科技人员心电图的横断面调查分析

目的 研究科技人员的异常心员的异常心电图分布状况,为有针对性地防治心血管病提供科学依据。方法 对中国科学院17871名科技人员进行了心电图检查,按性别、年龄将心电图分类统计。结果 （1）科技人员正常心电图占64%,异常心电图占36%。异常心电图较多的有ST-T改变（6.6%)、低电压（5.6%)、窦性心动过缓（5.7%)、窦性心律失常（4.4%)、束支阻滞（2.0%);（2）除预激综合征外,其它异常心电图都是男性多于女性;（3）多数异常心电图的检出率随年龄增加而增加,但窦性心律失常、预激综合征随年龄增加而减少,窦性心动过速 的检出率与年龄呈“杓形”关系。结论 科技人员异常心电图的发生率较高,男性异常心电图发生率高于女性,异常心电图发生率一般随年龄的增高而增高。     

A case of effusive-constrictive epicarditis found by electrocardiogram at a school health examination

An effusive-constrictive pericarditis confined to the epicardium is extremely rare in childhood. We report case of a 7-year-old boy with such a condition. During an annual school health examination, he was found to have low voltage activities on electrocardiogram. On admission, physical examination showed markedly distended abdomen due to ascites and hepatomegaly. Two-dimensional echocardiography revealed small ventricular cavities, extremely dilated inferior vena-cava, and a moderate amount of pericardial fluids. Pericardial and epicardial thickening were also suspected. Retrospectively, epicardial thickening was suspected on computed tomogram as well. Cardiac catheterization showed a typical diastolic dip and plateau pattern on the right ventricular pressure tracing, and deep x and y descents on that of the right atrium, suggesting that not pericardial effusion, but pericardial thickening mainly contributed to the cardiac dysfunction. Pericardiocentesis did not improve the clinical symptoms and high central venous pressure. On thoracotomy, we unexpectedly found intact pericardium and fibrotic epicardium covering the whole heart, so epicardiectomy was performed. Despite the fact that most of the fibrotic epicardium was removed, there were no immediate responses such as decrease in central venous pressure within the first 5 days after the surgery. Furthermore, it was not until two months later that all symptoms and hemodynamic parameters returned to normal levels. There have been several case reports of isolated epicardial constriction associated with pericardial effusion in English literature. However, we are unaware of such a report n Japanese. We concluded that it is important to evaluate the hemodynamics before and after pericardiocentesis, and to detect peri-and/or epicardial thickening by serial echocardiography and CT scan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Gastrointestinal symptoms in a Japanese population： A health diary study

AIM： To investigate the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms and the nature of consequent utilization of health care services in a Japanese population.
METHODS： Using self-report, we conducted a prospective cohort study of a nationally representative sample of the Japanese population over a one-month period to determine the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms of all kinds and resultant health care utilization. Both information on visits to physicians and use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies were collected. RESULTS： From a total of 3568 in the recruitment sample, 3477 participants completed a health diary （response rate 97%）. The data of 112 participants with baseline active gastrointestinal diseases were excluded from the analysis, leaving 3365 participants in the study. The incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms was 250 and the mean number of symptomatic episodes was 0.66 in a month. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, constipation and dyspepsia were the most frequent symptoms. Female gender, younger age, and low baseline quality of life were risk factors for developing these symptoms. The participants were more likely to treat themselves, using dietary, complementary or alternative medicines, than to visit physicians, except in the case of vomiting.
CONCLUSION： Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in the Japanese population, with an inddence of 25%. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, constipation and dyspepsia are the most frequent symptoms. Risk factors for developing these symptoms include female gender, younger age, and low baseline quality of life.     

健康人高位右侧胸前导联Brugada心电图征调查

目的 初步了解我国健康人高位右侧胸前导联Brugada心电图征发生率及其意义。方法 对1005例健康体检者进行病史询问、体格检查、X线胸片、标准12导联和第二肋间右侧胸前导联心电图检查,按照欧洲心脏病学会制定的标准筛选Brugada心电图征。结果 排除4例器质性心脏病和心律失常患者后,共1001例（男877例,女124例）人选,年龄17～75（28．3±14．8）岁。标准导联心电图检查发现5例2型Brugada心电图征（0．5％）,第二肋间右侧胸前导联心电图检查发现47例Brugada心电图征（4．70％）,均为男性（2型40例,3型7例）。无不明原因晕厥或黑噱史,无猝死家族史。结论 对于症状不典型者,依据标准导联或高位右侧胸前导联2型或3型Brugada心电图征诊断Brugada综合征要慎重。     

Family history of diabetes in middle-aged Swedish men is a gender unrelated factor which associates with insulinopenia in newly diagnosed diabetic subjects

Summary We have investigated the association of a family history of diabetes with glucose tolerance in a population of Swedish men. All men 35–54 years of age in 1992 and living in four different local municipalities of the outer Stockholm area were screened by questionnaire. From 10 236 completed questionnaires 1622 men, selected for presence of such a history but without known diabetes, as well as 1507 men without a family history underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. Diabetes (2 h-plasma glucose levels > 11.0 mmol/l) was detected in 55 and impaired glucose tolerance (plasma glucose levels 7.8–11.0 mmol/l) in 172 subjects. The odds ratio of diabetes, associated with a family history, was 4.1, confidence interval 2.1–8.3 and for impaired glucose tolerance 1.6, confidence interval 1.2–2.3. Influence of a family history was measurable also within the range of normal 2-h glucose concentrations: compared to 2-h glucose levels < 3.8 mmol/l; the odds ratio associated with a family history was 1.4, confidence interval 1.1–1.7 and 1.3, confidence interval 1.1–1.6 for concentrations 4.8–5.7 mmol/l and 5.8–7.7 mmol/l respectively. The odds ratio of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance among men with a family history increased with number and closeness of relatives with diabetes but was not affected by the gender of the family member. Overweight (BMI > 25.0 kg/m²) increased the odds ratio of diabetes in subjects with a family history, the odds ratio being 24, confidence interval 3–177, when both conditions were present. In subjects with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus discovered during the investigation, the presence of a family history of diabetes was associated with decreased insulin secretion rather than insulin resistance as assessed by fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment, and the 2-h insulin response to the oral glucose tolerance test. We conclude that a family history of diabetes strongly but independently of gender associates with decreased glucose tolerance. Furthermore, the results are compatible with a major role for low insulin secretion in the diabetogenic influence of a family history of diabetes in middle-aged Swedish men. Lastly, the very high risk for diabetes in middle-aged men with both a family history of diabetes and obesity indicates that such people should, for the purpose of therapeutic intervention, be identified in the general population. [Diabetologia (1999) 42: 15–23] Received: 9 March 1998 and in revised form: 1 July 1998