title: The impact of hepatitis C infection on ischemic heart disease via ischemic electrocardiogram.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious disease worldwide and it leads to several serious hepatic sequels. Some studies find possible correlation between HCV and ischemic heart disease in retrospective observations. Based on lacked community-based evidence, the study aims to assess correlation between ischemic heart disease and chronic HCV infection via electrocardiogram (ECG) because its abnormalities is strongly associating with cardiovascular disease mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The population was from one community health examination in December 2010 in a southern village of Taiwan. A total of 9856 participants were evaluated and finally 5015 eligible residents with age older than 40 years were included. The baseline characteristics and laboratory data in nonischemic ECG and ischemic ECG groups were compared, and multivariate-adjusted analysis was used to evaluate the risks to ischemic ECG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The higher prevalence of hypertension, metabolic syndrome and even HCV infection (25.3% versus 11.6%; P < 0.001) in ischemic ECG group than those in nonischemic ECG group. In the multivariate adjusted analysis, HCV infection would lead to a 1.759-fold risk to ischemic ECG when compared with non-HCV subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV was strongly associated with ischemic ECG findings in this community study, and it could be a nonconventional risk factor for coronary artery disease.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine (M-SL, T-JH, J-CH, J-HH), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Yunlin, Taiwan; Department of Nursing and Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center (SEG), Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Nursing (S-EG), University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada; School of Nursing (M-YC), Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi, Taiwan; and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine (Y-SL), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors: Ming-Shyan
authors: MS
authors: Lin
authors: Su-Er
authors: SE
authors: Guo
authors: Mei-Yen
authors: MY
authors: Chen
authors: Tung-Jung
authors: TJ
authors: Huang
authors: Jui-Chu
authors: JC
authors: Huang
authors: Jing-Hong
authors: JH
authors: Hu
authors: Yu-Sheng
authors: YS
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology