ABSTRACT

Compared to female sex, QT dispersion as a reflection of ventricular depolarization heterogeneity is shorter in males. In this study, we aimed to delineate QT dispersion changes in secondary hypogonadism patients with testosterone replacement therapy. Fifteen male patients with a diagnosis of secondary hypogonadism comprised the study group. We selected 15 age-matched male volunteers without any clinical evidence or history of disease as a control group. After obtaining baseline ECG from all subjects, QT and-QTc dispersion values were calculated. In hypogonadal patients, repeat ECG and subsequent QTQTc dispersion measurements were made at the 10th day of testosterone therapy. Although statistically not significant, QT and QTc dispersion values were longer in patients with hypogonadism compared to healthy subjects (45±18 msec vs 36±12 p>0.05 msec and 58±23 mec vs 50±17 msec p>0.05, respectively). We detected statistically significant decrease in QT and QTc dispersion values at the 10th day of testosterone therapy in hypogonadal patients (45±18 msn vs 31±13 msn, p=0.01 and 58±23 msec vs 39±16 msec). QT dispersion shortening and potential stabilization of ventricular repolarization heterogeneity secondary to testosterone therapy in male patients with secondary hypogonadism might have important clinical implications such as arrhythmic risk reduction. This requires further prospective and large-scale studies.