Objective[|]Index of cardioelectrophysiological balance (iCEB), measured as QT interval divided by QRS duration, is defined recently as a new risk marker for arrhythmias. Increased or decreased iCEB is associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. We aimed to investigate the ventricular balance between the depolarization (changes in QRS duration) and repolarization (changes in the QT interval) of the cardiac action potential in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by using iCEB.[¤]Materials and Methods[|]In total, 60 patients (mean age was 49.4±11.7 y and 61% of the patients were female) with RA and 60 control subjects (45.3±12.6 y and 60% of the patients were female) were enrolled. iCEB (QT/QRS) and iCEBc [heart rate-corrected QT (QTc)/QRS] rates were calculated from the 12-lead electrocardiogram.[¤]Results[|] iCEB and iCEBc were significantly higher in patients with RA than in control subjects (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively),
and they were correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels (r=0.467, p<0.001 and r=0.479, p<0.001, respectively)[¤]Conclusion[|]Our results indicate that iCEB was increased in patients with RA. It is known that high iCEB is associated with torsade de Pointes (TdP) ventricular tachycardia. The increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with RA may be TdP-related and can be clarified by the new index of balance between depolarization and repolarization (iCEB).[¤]