title: Prevalence and prognosis of Brugada electrocardiogram patterns in an elderly Han Chinese population: a nation-wide community-based study (HALST cohort).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The exact world-wide prevalence of Brugada electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern is still unclear, especially in adults aged 55 years and older.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study was conducted as part of the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST). Using a stratified random sampled method, a sample of community-dwelling subjects was recruited from seven community-based regions across Taiwan. All enrolled subjects were follow-up annually and cause of death was documented by citizen death records. A total of 5214 subjects were enrolled (male/female: 2530/2684) with a mean age of 69 ± 8 years. The overall prevalence of Brugada ECG patterns was 3.32%. Four subjects carried spontaneous Type 1 Brugada ECG pattern, 68 carried Type 2, and 101 carried Type 3. Compared with the world-wide average prevalence of Brugada ECG patterns, the prevalence of spontaneous Type 1 Brugada ECG pattern in subjects from the HALST cohort was similar (0.077 vs. 0.07%) and the combined prevalence of Types 2 and 3 Brugada ECG pattern was 10 times higher (3.24 vs. 0.28%) even the mean age of study subjects was significantly higher (69 ± 8 vs. 35 ± 8, P < 0.001). However, all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality rates were not significantly different between subjects with and without Brugada ECG patterns during the 4-year follow-up (log-rank test, P = 0.21, 0.32, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of Brugada ECG pattern in adults aged 55 years and older in Taiwan was higher than the average world-wide prevalence but was not associated with increased mortality.
authors: Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Jyh-Ming Jimmy
authors: JM
authors: Juang
authors: Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Ching-Yu Julius
authors: CY
authors: Chen
authors: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
authors: Ying-Hsiang
authors: YH
authors: Chen
authors: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
authors: I-Chien
authors: IC
authors: Wu
authors: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
authors: Chih-Cheng
authors: CC
authors: Hsu
authors: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
authors: Lei-Na
authors: LN
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Occupational Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospotal, Taiwan.
authors: Feng-Cheng
authors: FC
authors: Tang
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Mennonite Christian Hospital, Taiwan.
authors: Chi-Chung
authors: CC
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Surgery, Yuan's General Hospital, Taiwan.
authors: Chung-Chou
authors: CC
authors: Juan
authors: Department of Neurology, Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Hou-Chang
authors: HC
authors: Chiu
authors: Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors: Huey-Ming
authors: HM
authors: Lo
authors: National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
authors: I-Shou
authors: IS
authors: Chang
authors: Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Juey-Jen
authors: JJ
authors: Hwang
authors: Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Ling-Ping
authors: LP
authors: Lai
authors: Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Fu-Tien
authors: FT
authors: Chiang
authors: Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan hsiung@nhri.org.tw jjmjuang@ntuh.gov.tw.
authors: Jiunn-Lee
authors: JL
authors: Lin
authors: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan hsiung@nhri.org.tw jjmjuang@ntuh.gov.tw.
authors: Chao Agnes
authors: CA
authors: Hsiung
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Brugada ECG pattern; Community-based; Han Chinese population; Long-term prognosis