Background and purpose: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is an inherited systemic arteriopathy caused by highly stereotyped mutations in NOTCH3. The clinical expression of CADASIL is confined to the central nervous system with characteristic recurrent subcortical infarcts and vascular dementia. However, cases have been reported with associated circulatory small vessel abnormalities in the retina or the myocardium and with myocardial infarction. Classical cardiovascular risk factors may influence such circulatory abnormalities. Thus, we conducted a case control study to determine the frequency of electrical abnormalities on a 12-lead resting ECG in CADASIL patients without classical atherosclerotic risk factors.
Methods: Twenty-three CADASIL patients (mean age+/-SD; 55.1+/-11 years) free of any classical cardiovascular risk factors except for hypercholesterolemia were recruited from 1 neurology department and compared with 23 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (mean age+/-SD; 54.7+/-9.5 years). A resting supine 12-lead ECG was recorded at inclusion and analyzed later by 2 reviewers. Signs of myocardial infarction or ischemia, conduction, and rhythm disturbances were looked for.
Results: We found no ECG sign evoking myocardial infarction or myocardial ischemia. CADASIL patients had, compared with healthy controls, a significantly higher heart rate and a significantly lower Sokolow index, but these values remained in the normal ranges.
Conclusions: In this case-control study, we found no ECG evidence for myocardial infarction or ischemia, conduction disturbances, or arrhythmias in CADASIL patients compared with healthy controls.