Copyright © 1994 by the European Society of Cardiology.
© 1994 The Eouropean Society of Cardiology
The predictive value of electrocardiographic abnormalities for total and cardiovascular disease mortality in men and women
*Department of Public Health, University of Ghent Belgium
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Free University of Brussels Belgium
Received 24 March 1994; revised 24 June 1994; .
Correspondence: Dirk De Bacquer, Department of Public Health, University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
Abstract
The relationship between ECG abnormalities and mortality was studied in 4797 males and 4320 females aged 25 to 74 years who took part in the Belgian Inter-university Research on Nutrition and Health (The BIRNH study). At entry all were free of angina, had no history of acute myocardial infarction and showed no evidence of an old infarction on their baseline ECG. They were followed for an average of 5.6 years, and follow-up for vital status was completed satisfactorily in 99.5%. ECG abnormalities were grouped using several classifications: any abnormality, major and minor abnormalities, iscliaemic changes, left ventricular hypertrophy and the separate Minnesota codes IV (ST depression), V (abnormal T-wave) and VIII (arrhythmias). Using logistic regression analysis, adjustment of odds ratios for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality was done for age, systolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol and uric acid, diabetes, smoking and antihypertensive drug treatment. Men outnumbered women more than twice in total and CVD mortality. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of major abnormalities on the ECG was significantly related to CVD mortality in both men and women (adjusted odds ratios 2.73 and 4.40 respectively). In contrast, minor abnormalities were not independently associated with CVD mortality. In men, ST depression (OR=5.58), signs of an ischaemic ECG (OR=3.02) and an abnormal T-wave (OR=2.58) were independently related to CVD mortality. In women primarily a ST depression (OR=5.87) and arrhythmias (OR=4.22) had a significant independent effect on CVD mortality. The results from this study illustrate the independent role of major electrocardiographic abnormalities as being among the strongest risk indicators in predicting cardiovascular disease mortality. Both men and women with an ST segment depression on their baseline ECG were at five to six times higher risk for CVD mortality.
Key Words: Cardiovascular disease and total mortality • epidemiology • ECG abnormalities
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. Kumar, R. J. Prineas, A. M. Arnold, B. M. Psaty, C. D. Furberg, J. Robbins, and D. M. Lloyd-Jones Prevalence, Prognosis, and Implications of Isolated Minor Nonspecific ST-Segment and T-Wave Abnormalities in Older Adults: Cardiovascular Health Study Circulation, December 16, 2008; 118(25): 2790 - 2796. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. M. Okin, M. J. Roman, L. G. Best, E. T. Lee, J. M. Galloway, B. V. Howard, and R. B. Devereux C-Reactive Protein and Electrocardiographic ST-Segment Depression Additively Predict Mortality: The Strong Heart Study J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., June 7, 2005; 45(11): 1787 - 1793. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. M. Okin, M. J. Roman, E. T. Lee, J. M. Galloway, B. V. Howard, and R. B. Devereux Combined Echocardiographic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Electrocardiographic ST Depression Improve Prediction of Mortality in American Indians: The Strong Heart Study Hypertension, April 1, 2004; 43(4): 769 - 774. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. M. Okin, R. B. Devereux, E. T. Lee, J. M. Galloway, and B. V. Howard Electrocardiographic Repolarization Complexity and Abnormality Predict All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Diabetes: The Strong Heart Study Diabetes, February 1, 2004; 53(2): 434 - 440. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. B. Newman, B. L. Naydeck, K. Sutton-Tyrrell, D. Edmundowicz, D. O'Leary, R. Kronmal, G. L. Burke, and L. H. Kuller Relationship Between Coronary Artery Calcification and Other Measures of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, October 1, 2002; 22(10): 1674 - 1679. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. L. Daviglus, Y. Liao, P. Greenland, A. R. Dyer, K. Liu, X. Xie, C.-F. Huang, R. J. Prineas, and J. Stamler Association of Nonspecific Minor ST-T Abnormalities With Cardiovascular Mortality: The Chicago Western Electric Study JAMA, February 10, 1999; 281(6): 530 - 536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. M. Okin, M. J. Roman, R. B. Devereux, and P. Kligfield Association of Carotid Atherosclerosis With Electrocardiographic Myocardial Ischemia and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Hypertension, July 1, 1996; 28(1): 3 - 7. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|