The role of mexiletine in the management of long QT syndrome.

Guoliang Li, Li Zhang

Journal: Journal of electrocardiology 2019;51(6):1061-1065

PMID: 30497731

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a hereditary cardiac disorder characterized by QT-interval prolongation and T-wave abnormalities on electrocardiogram (ECG), and is associated with an increased risk of torsade de pointes and sudden cardiac death. Beta-blocker medication is effective in most patients except those with a very slow heart rate. Increased late sodium currents (INa-L) can result in bradycardia-dependent QT prolongation. Mexiletine, an inhibitor of INa-L, is not only effective in treating type-3 LQTS, but also shows the promise in managing LQTS patients of other genotypes with markedly prolonged QT interval at slow heart rates.

Address: Arrhythmia Unit, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.; Arrhythmia Unit, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2018.08.035

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MeSH Terms: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists, Anti-Arrhythmia Agents, Cardiac Conduction System Disease, Electrocardiography, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Long QT Syndrome, Male, Mexiletine, Mutation, Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers