Right bundle branch block without overt heart disease predicts higher risk of pacemaker implantation: The study of atomic-bomb survivors

• Published in: International journal of cardiology Vol. 174; no. 1; pp. 77 - 82
• Main Authors: Kusumoto, Saburo, Kawano, Hiroaki, Makita, Naomasa, Ichimaru, Shinichiro, Kaku, Takashi, Haruta, Daisuke, Hida, Ayumi, Sera, Nobuko, Imaizumi, Misa, Nakashima, Eiji, Maemura, Koji, Akahoshi, Masazumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.06.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrioventricular Block - etiology; Atrioventricular Block - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bundle-branch block; Bundle-Branch Block - complications; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular; Cohort Studies; Conduction disease; Electrocardiography; Epidemiology; Female; Heart; Heart Diseases; Humans; Japan; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nuclear Weapons; Pacemaker, Artificial; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Sick Sinus Syndrome - etiology; Sick Sinus Syndrome - therapy; Survivors; Japan; Electrocardiography; Conduction disease; Bundle-branch block; Epidemiology; Conduction; Arrhythmia; Disease; Right; Cardiovascular disease; Risk; Electrodiagnosis; Heart block; Heart disease; Cardiology; Public health; Survivor; Prediction; Instrumentation therapy; Implantation; Bundle branch block; Conduction disorder; Instrumental stimulation; Pacemaker; Risk factor; Predictive factor
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.03.152
• ISSN: 0167-5273; 1874-1754

We investigated the clinical course of complete right bundle branch block (RBBB) or RBBB with axis deviation (AD) in terms of subsequent pacemaker implantation for high-degree atrioventricular (AV) block or sick sinus syndrome (SSS). Among the 16,170 atomic-bomb survivors in our biennial health examination between July 1967 and December 2010, we detected 520 newly-acquired RBBB subjects with no organic heart disease, and selected 1038 age- (at RBBB diagnosis) and sex-matched subjects without RBBB to serve as comparison subjects. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of pacemaker implantation due to all causes, AV block or SSS between RBBB and comparison subjects and between RBBB subjects with and without AD. The risk of pacemaker implantation for RBBB was 4.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.89–12.58; P=0.001), 3.77 (95% CI, 1.09–13.07; P=0.036), and 6.28 (95% CI, 1.24–31.73, P=0.026) when implantation was for all causes, AV block and SSS, respectively. RBBB subjects with AD had a higher risk for all-cause pacemaker implantation than subjects without AD (HR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.00–9.13, P=0.049). RBBB subjects with AD were younger than subjects without AD at the time of RBBB diagnosis (59.4±7.6 vs 74.4±3.1years old, P=0.019), and their progression from diagnosis to pacemaker implantation took longer (15.1±6.6 vs 6.4±3.0years, P=0.032). RBBB, especially with AD, progresses to AV block and SSS that requires pacemaker implantation; the mechanisms by which the conduction defect progresses differ among patients with and without AD.