ArticleInternational journal of high risk behaviors & addiction2015
QTc Prolongation in Veterans With Heroin Dependence on Methadone Maintenance Treatment.
Article in International journal of high risk behaviors & addiction, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- The association of methadone use with physical function and frailty among persons who inject drugs.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Article
- Influence ofLife (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Effects of opioid receptor agonist and antagonist medications on electrocardiogram changes and presentation of cardiac arrhythmia: review article.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2022Review
- Effects of cocaine and/or heroin use on resting cardiovascular function.International journal of cardiology. Cardiovascular risk and prevention · 2021Article
- Effect of Heroin on Electrocardiographic Parameters.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundQTc prolongation and Torsade de Ppointes have been reported in patients on methadone maintenance.
objectivesIn this study, QTc was compared before and after the veteran (n = 49) was on a stable dosage of methadone for 8.72 ± 4.50 years to treat heroin dependence. Risk factors were correlated with the QTc once the veteran was on a stable dose of methadone. Differences in the clinical risk factors in subgroups of veterans with below and above mean QTc change was compared. PATIENTS AND
methodsECG data was obtained from a 12-lead electrocardiogram (pre-methadone and on methadone) on 49 veterans. Data and risk factors were retrospectively collected from the medical records.
resultsThe mean QTc at baseline (pre-methadone) was 426 ± 34 msec and after being on methadone for an average of 8.72 ± 4.50 years was significantly higher at 450 ± 35 msec. No significant relationships were found between QTc prolongation and risk factors except for calcium. The methadone dosage was significantly higher in veterans with a QTc change above the mean change of ≥ 24 msec (88.48 ± 27.20 mg v.s 68.96 ± 19.84 mg). None of the veterans experienced cardiac arrhythmias.
conclusionsThe low complexity of medical co-morbidities may explain the lack of a significant correlation between any risk factor with the QTc except calcium and methadone dosage. The absence of TdP may be explained by the low prevalence of QTc values > 500 msec as well as the retrospective design of the study. During long-term methadone treatment, there was a slight increase in the QTc interval but we did not find evidence of increased cardiac toxicity as a reason for treatment termination.
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