title: Hypertrophy at ECG and its regression during treatment survey (HEART survey). Rationale, design and baseline characteristics of patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) detected at electrocardiography (ECG) is a predictor of an increased cardiovascular risk in essential hypertension. However, uncertainty remains concerning the reproducibility of ECG LVH and the prognostic relevance of its regression over time in hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of baseline ECG LVH and its serial changes in a large cohort of hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Hypertrophy at ECG and its Regression during Treatment Survey (HEART Survey) is a prospective observational study conducted in 66 Italian centers. Inclusion criteria are essential hypertension with ECG LVH defined by the Perugia score (Cornell voltage criteria and/or a typical left ventricular "strain" pattern and/or a Romhilt-Estes score > or = 5 points) in subjects aged 45-84 years. The treatment of hypertension and other risk factors accords with current guidelines and is individually tailored. ECG is recorded twice at entry and periodically repeated over a 4-year follow-up period. Expert readers (unaware of the clinical findings) classify ECG. The incidence of major cardiovascular events in relation to baseline ECG and its changes over time are assessed, together with the reproducibility in the two baseline recordings. Overall, 708 patients aged 64 +/- 9 years have been enrolled in centers from northern (27%), central (32%) and southern (41%) Italy. Their baseline characteristics are presented. Follow-up is ongoing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HEART Survey will examine the prognostic value of baseline ECG LVH and of its regression over time in a wide population of hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: ANMCO Research Center, Florence, Italy. verdec@tin.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verdecchia
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sleight
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Avanzini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Simone
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pede
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perticone
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schillaci
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vanuzzo
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angeli
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Reboldi
authors.forename: Aldo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maggioni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome