A 5‐Year Follow‐up of Young Men with Primary T Wave Aberrations in Their Electrocardiograms

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Abstract
Humans (48; group T) with primary T wave abberations in their ECG (e.g., notches, flattening or inversion in leads II, CR4 and CR7 but without a concomitant ST depression) and 38 controls (group C), examined previously at the age of 18-19 yr, were re-examined after 5.4 and 7.5 yr, respectively. The incidence of heart disease between the 2 examinations was lower in group T than in the controls. The T wave abberation had decreased in severity in 22 subjects in group T, but 66% of them still showed T wave aberrations at rest. Only 1 subject was free from T wave aberrations during orthostasis. .beta.-Adrenergic blockade in 27 subjects in group T suggested that 3 possibly had organic genesis to the abberations. The earlier reported signs of high sympathetic tone in group T had decreased, but a somewhat higher heart rate and diastolic blood pressure than in the controls still remained. The systolic time intervals suggested larger stroke volumes in group T than in the controls and did not indicate decreased myocardial performance in group T. The attenuated differences between groups T and C in T wave abnormality, heart rate and blood pressure over the follow-up period suggest that T wave abnormality as an isolated finding in young men is a benign finding.