Study backs T-wave alternans test:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Measuring T-wave alternans, subtle beat-to-beat fluctuations in heartbeat, could help predict ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (August). The sensitivity, specificity and predictive accuracy of T-wave alternans for VT in 58 patients with DCM were 88%, 72% and 77% respectively. US company Cambridge Heart of Bedford, Massachusetts, which makes the only non-invasive T-wave alternans test with FDA clearance, said the findings were significant since a conventional electrophysiology study is not considered useful in diagnosing patients with non-ischaemic DCM.