Clinical characteristics of the study groups
| Controls (n = 50) | VF group (n = 50) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matched characteristics | |||
| Sex (male/female) | 48/2 | 48/2 | |
| Age (years) | 58 (8) | 57 (8) | |
| LV ejection fraction (%) | 41 (16) | 41 (18) | |
| Number of diseased vessels | 2.4 (0.8) | 2.4 (0.7) | |
| 1/2/3 vessel CAD | 9/14/27 | 8/16/26 | |
| Previous myocardial infarction | 39 | 39 | |
| Inferior | 15 | 15 | |
| Anterior | 13 | 13 | |
| Multiple | 10 | 10 | |
| Unknown | 1 | 1 | |
| β Blockers during study ECG | 23 | 21 | |
| Other characteristics | |||
| History of hypertension | 19 | 21 | NS |
| History of diabetes | 4 | 6 | NS |
| NYHA class (I/II/III/IV) | 0/9/38/3 | 4/33/12/1 | < 0.001 |
| Positive exercise test | 45 | 24 | < 0.001 |
| Thrombolytic therapy | 17 | 6 | < 0.05 |
| Previous CABG | 3 | 8 | NS |
| Number of previous MIs | |||
| 0/1/2/3 | 11/25/10/3 | 11/29/5/4 | NS |
| Left ventricular aneurysm | 2 | 12 | < 0.01 |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy 1-150 | 7 | 5 | NS |
| Medication during study ECG | |||
| Digitalis | 12 | 13 | NS |
| Diuretics | 15 | 20 | NS |
| Calcium channel blockers† | 23 | 5 | < 0.001 |
Data are number of individuals or mean (SD).
↵1-150 SV1 + RV5 > 35 mm in the ECG;†Verapamil, diltiatzem or nifedipine.