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Figure 4 Effect of nicorandil on QT intervals. (Open circles) Eight patients with nicorandil-sensitive VT. (Crosses) Four patients with nicorandil-insensitive VT. In all 12 patients the RR intervals did not change after nicorandil (p = NS), although both the QT and QTc intervals were significantly reduced. A similar trend was also seen in the patients in whom nicorandil was effective (control vs. nicorandil: RR—515 ± 73 vs. 511 ± 67 ms, p = NS; QT—359 ± 50 vs. 339 ± 50 ms, p < 0.05; QTc—500 ± 46 vs. 474 ± 51, p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was seen in the three indexes in patients in whom nicorandil was not effective (control vs. nicorandil: RR—511 ± 76 vs. 545 ± 125 ms, p = NS; QT—328 ± 27 vs. 320 ± 52 ms, p = NS; QTc—460 ± 15 vs. 434 ± 38, p = NS).