title: A meta-analytic review of prevalence for Brugada ECG patterns and the risk for death.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of Brugada ECG pattern (BrEP) is different in different regions, and its mean prevalence over the world is unknown. The risk of people with BrEP for death remains unknown. We performed a meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of BrEP and risk ratio (RR) for death.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relevant studies published between July 1, 2000 and August 20, 2016, which contain prevalence and RR for all-cause death and cardiac death, were included. The prevalence and RR are analyzed using meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We finally retrieved 24 studies of the prevalence for BrEP and 5 studies of the RR for all-cause death and cardiac death. The worldwide mean prevalence of BrEP is 0.4%, with highest in Asia (0.9%) and lowest in North America (0.2%). Additionally, the mean prevalence in male is 0.9%, whereas it is 0.1% in female. The RR of BrEP for all-cause death is 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.45-1.37), and for cardiac death it is 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.23-3.66).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of BrEP is about 0.4% around the world with different prevalence in region and sex. Our study shows that BrEP may not be taken as a predictor of all-cause death and cardiac death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics Second Clinical School, Tongji Hospital Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao-Fen
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors