title: Hypertension images: electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy.
abstract: The electrocardiogram is an inexpensive adjunct for assessing target organ damage in hypertensive patients. The gender-specific Cornell voltage criteria (men: R(aVL) + S(V3) >35 mm; women: R(aVL) + S(V3) >25 mm) have better overall accuracy than the often-used Sokolow-Lyon or Romhilt-Estes criteria. One of the earliest electrocardiographic findings of hypertensive heart disease is a duration of the negative phase of the P wave in chest lead V1 of >0.04 seconds, a manifestation of left atrial enlargement or abnormality. There is no other cardiovascular risk factor more potent than left ventricular hypertrophy with a "strain pattern." Despite limitations in determining hypertensive heart disease, the electrocardiogram provides other information that is useful in the management of patients with hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, Hypertension Unit, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912-3105, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Prisant
mesh_terms: D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged