Metabolic Syndrome and P-Wave Duration in the American Population

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome has a high prevalence in the United States. P-wave duration is a valuable indicator for atrial electrical conduction. Abnormalities in atrial electrical conduction can predispose to atrial fibrillation. Our objective was to estimate the effect of metabolic syndrome on P-wave duration in a nationally representative sample. Methods: We included 6499 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (1988-1994). We estimated the effect of metabolic syndrome and its components on P-wave duration after adjusting for confounders such as demographic and lifestyle variables. We stratified the analyses by gender. Results: Irrespective of gender, participants with metabolic syndrome had a longer P-wave duration than that of those without it. In addition, we observed a positive linear dose-response relation between metabolic syndrome components and P-wave duration. Conclusions: Patients with metabolic syndrome had a longer P-wave duration. They might have been at a higher risk for atrial fibrillation and mortality; they need to be periodically checked by their health care providers. However, the results of this study should be confirmed in prospective studies. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.