QT interval changes in term pregnant women living at moderately high altitude

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the QT interval changes in women with term pregnancy living at moderately high altitude (1890 m in Erzurum, Turkey) with those of women living at sea level (31 m in İstanbul, Turkey).

Materials and Methods: One‑hundred ten women (n = 55, for each group) with full‑term and single child pregnancies. Two different locations in that state were selected: İstanbul, Turkey, which is at 31 m above sea level (Group 1) and Erzurum, Turkey, at 1890 m above sea level (Group 2). Physicians from the two locations participated in the study. We estimated QTc, QTc Max, QTc Min, QT, and QTcd intervals.

Results: Moderately high altitude group had significantly longer QT parameters (QTc, QTc Max, QTc Min, QT, and QTcd intervals) compared with sea level group (P < 0.01, for all).

Conclusions: According to our results, QT interval changes occur in term pregnant women living moderately high altitude. These changes may be associated with pregnancy‑related cardiovascular complications in moderately high altitude.

Keywords: Moderately high altitude, pregnancy, QT interval