Repolarization: Physiological and structural determinants, and pathophysiological changes

We have reviewed, briefly, the mechanisms that control repolarization in the normal ventricle, as well as some of the means whereby pathophysiologic changes in repolarization may induce arrhythmias. It is apparent that just as the controls of normal repolarization are complex so the changes that may be induced by disease are complex as well. It is evident that the changes that occur in repolarization in various pathophysiologic studies assume importance in the induction of specific cardiac arrhythmias, as will be borne out in the subesequent presentations.