title: Validity of electrocardiographic criteria for increased left ventricular mass in young patients in the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate validity of electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospectively, echocardiograms showing LVH and concomitant electrocardiograms were collected in patients 18 to 39 years old. A control group of patients without LVH was collected. Using echocardiogram as the gold standard, electrocardiograms were analyzed using common voltage criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study included 100 subjects (52% male, mean age = 28 ± 6.8 years, 96% Hispanic or African-American) with 50% LVH prevalence. Sensitivity and specificity for Sokolow-Lyon criteria were 24% (95%CI: 13.5%-38.4%) and 88% (95%CI: 74.9%-95%). For Cornell criteria, sensitivity was 32% (95%CI: 19.9%-46.8%) and specificity 98% (95%CI: 87.9%-99.8%). For R in aVL criteria, sensitivity was 12% (95%CI: 4.9%-25%) and specificity 100% (95%CI: 91.1%-100%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In young adults common ECG voltage criteria have low sensitivities and high specificities similar to other age groups. Low sensitivities preclude these ECG criteria from serving as effective screening tests.
authors.affiliation: Eduard Sklyar, Paul Ginelli, Aaron Barton, Richard Peralta, Jonathan N Bella, Department of Medicine, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, United States.
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sklyar
authors.affiliation: Eduard Sklyar, Paul Ginelli, Aaron Barton, Richard Peralta, Jonathan N Bella, Department of Medicine, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, United States.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ginelli
authors.affiliation: Eduard Sklyar, Paul Ginelli, Aaron Barton, Richard Peralta, Jonathan N Bella, Department of Medicine, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, United States.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.affiliation: Eduard Sklyar, Paul Ginelli, Aaron Barton, Richard Peralta, Jonathan N Bella, Department of Medicine, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, United States.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.affiliation: Eduard Sklyar, Paul Ginelli, Aaron Barton, Richard Peralta, Jonathan N Bella, Department of Medicine, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, United States.
authors.forename: Jonathan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bella
keywords: Electrocardiographic; Left ventricular hypertrophy criteria; Young adults