The orthogonal electrocardiogram as risk indicator for the prediction of myocardial infarction and/or cardiac death

Publication Description
In a prospective study on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) orthogonal electrocardiograms (Frank) were recorded annually for ten years from 1,444 asymptomatic, middle-aged males with a mean age of 57.4 ± 10.6 years. Cases with overt or suspected CHD were excluded. The purpose of the study was to identify risk indicators in electrocardiograms and to compare them with other known risk factors used for prediction of acute CHD events such as myocardial infarction (MI) and/or cardiac death (CD). Such acute events occurred in 88 cases. Pre-event ECGs of these acute events were compared with all others without events, using logistic regression analysis. Identified ECG risk indicators were then compared with other known risk factors such as smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, age, weight, etc. The predictive power of the ECG, derived mainly from the ST-T complex, exceeded all others by a wide margin. The amplitude of the first ⅛ of the ST-T complex in lead x (similar to V −V ) together with relative body weight proved best when one pre-event record was available. Prediction improved when ECG changes between two pre-event recordings were included. Precision of measurements by computer appeared essential for improvements in CHD prediction.

Primary Author
Pipberger,Hubert V.
Pipberger,Hanna A.
Doyle,Joseph T.
Schlesselman,Sarah
Halperin,Max
McManus,Christopher D.
Appel,Marilyn
Yamamoto,William S.

Volume
19

Issue
4

Start Page
327

Other Pages
336

Publisher
Elsevier Inc

URL
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022073686810603

PMID
3794572



Reference Type
Journal Article

Periodical Full
Journal of Electrocardiology

Publication Year
1986

Place of Publication
United States

ISSN/ISBN
0022-0736

Document Object Index
10.1016/S0022-0736(86)81060-3