Objectives: The frontal QRS-T angle (QRS-Ta) is defined as the difference between the QRS  and T wave axis and an increase in the angle indicates a discrepancy between repolarization and depolarization. The QRS-Ta has been shown to predict total mortality and sudden cardiac death in various populations. It is unclear whether the QRS-Ta becomes narrower in kidney recipients, while wider values are related with increased cardiovascular risk. So, we aimed to compare the QRS-Ta at pre- and post-transplantation period.
Material and Methods: The data of 234 patients with renal transplantation were reviewed retrospectively. Ninety two patients were available for inclusion into the analysis. The electrocardiographic measurements were evaluated before the transplantation and at the one-year follow-up visit.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 35.5±12.7 years. It was noticed that the median [IQR] values of QRS-Ta of 32°[60.5°] decreased to 23°[28.75°] after the transplantation. This reduction was found to be statistically significant (p=0.004).
Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate how renal transplantation affects the QRS-Ta. The study results showed that QRS-Ta became narrower postoperatively, which might be a sign of improved cardiovascular outcomes after kidney transplantation.
Keywords: renal transplantation; dialysis; QRS-T angle.