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Background: An abnormal frontal QRS-T angle (fQRSTa) is associated with increased risk of death in primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fQRSTa prognostic role in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization and/or cardiac valve surgery., Methods: We enrolled and prospectively followed for 48 ± 26 months 939 subjects with available QRS and T axis data; mean age was 68 ± 12 years, 449 patients (48%) underwent myocardial revascularization, 333 (35%) cardiac valve surgery, 94 (10%) valve plus bypass graft surgery and 63 (7%) cardiac surgery for other cardiovascular (CV) diseases. The ECG variables were collected at the end of the cardiac rehabilitation program and fQRSTa was considered normal if <60°, abnormal if >120°, borderline otherwise. Endpoints were overall and CV mortality., Results: The fQRSTa was normal in 333 patients (36%), borderline in 285 (30%) and abnormal in 321 (34%). Overall (p = 0.012) and cardiovascular (p = 0.007) mortality were significantly higher in patients with abnormal fQRSTa even after adjusting separately for gender, PR-, QTc- intervals, presence of right or left bundle branch block and left atrial volume index. The predictive value was confirmed in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD), not in patients with acute coronary syndrome or valve disease. SCAD patients with abnormal both fQRSTa and QRS axis had higher risk of overall (hazard ratio = 2.9, p < 0.0001) and CV (hazard ratio = 4.4, p < 0.0001) mortality compared with SCAD patients with normal fQRSTa, even after multivariate adjustment for age, gender, ECG intervals, left-ventricle ejection fraction and mass index., Conclusions: In SCAD patients undergoing myocardial revascularization, abnormal fQRSTa is independent predictor of overall and CV mortality., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background Abnormal P-wave axis has been correlated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a general population. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of abnormal P-wave axis in patients undergoing myocardial revascularisation or cardiac valve surgery. Methods We considered data of 810 patients with available P-wave axis measure from a prospective monocentric registry of patients undergoing cardiovascular rehabilitation. A total of 436 patients (54%) underwent myocardial revascularisation, 253 (31%) valve surgery, 71 (9%) combined valve and coronary artery bypass graft surgery and 50 (6%) cardiac surgery for other cardiovascular disease. Mean follow-up was 47 ± 27 months. Results Over the whole group, P-wave axis was 43.8° ± 27.5° and an abnormal P-wave axis was found in 94 patients (12%). The risk of overall (hazard ratio (HR) 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-4.0, P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.8, P = 0.002) was significantly higher in patients with abnormal P-wave axis even after adjustment for age, other electrocardiographic variables (PR, QRS, QTc intervals), left ventricular ejection fraction and left atrial volume index. After dividing the population according to the type of disease, patients with abnormal P-wave axis and ischaemic heart disease had 3.9-fold higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 3.9, 95% CI 1.3-12.1, P = 0.017), while a 2.2-fold higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 3.6, 95% CI 1.3-10.1, P = 0.015) was found in those with cardiac valve disease. Conclusion An abnormal P-wave axis represents an independent predictor of both overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients undergoing myocardial revascularisation or cardiac valve surgery.