title: Sex differences in the relationships between electrocardiographic abnormalities and the extent of left ventricular hypertrophy by echocardiography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several criteria have been proposed for the electrocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). However, their diagnostic accuracy is questionable. Furthermore, the diagnostic accuracy of abnormalities in ST-T patterns for LVH is known to be uncertain, especially in women. We examined the relationship between electrocardiographic abnormalities and the extent of LVH.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 76 men and 48 women who satisfied electrocardiographic voltage criteria for LVH (RV(5) or RV(6)> or = 2.6 mV, SV(1) + RV(5) or SV(1) + RV(6)> or = 3.5 mV). They were classified into three groups based on ST-T pattern: normal, early strain, and strain. We defined echocardiographic evidence of LVH as an LV wall thickness > or = 12 mm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LVH was identified by echocardiography in 55.3% of men and in 47.9% of women. In strain and early strain groups, the prevalence of echocardiographic LVH was significantly higher in men than in women (strain group: 100 vs 75%, P < 0.05, early strain group: 81.8 vs 42.1%, P < 0.05), it did not differ significantly between men and women in normal group. In men, QRS voltage values were significantly correlated with echocardiographic indices. In group strain of men, significant good correlations were observed between QRS voltage values and echocardiographic indices. However, in women, there were no significant correlation between QRS voltage values and echocardiographic indices even in strain group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined criteria of both QRS voltage and ST-T classification could provide a greater accuracy in diagnosing LVH compared to the criteria using QRS voltage alone in men rather than in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Hikari
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Mayo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skegawa
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Rieko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Junki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takamatsu
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokota
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors