EKG can show false positive readings for diagnosing heart condition

The study of 500 patients found a false positive reading between 77 and 82 percent in patients screened by electrocardiogram, and a false negative reading between 6 percent to 7 percent in the same patient population.

The electrocardiogram also showed a high negative predictive reading, which reflects the absence of left ventricular hypertrophy. Physicians rely on several electrocardiogram measurements for diagnosing the heart condition.

Researchers evaluated the electrocardiogram data against coronary CT scans taken of patients. CT scans are considered highly accurate for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy, or LVH.

An electrocardiogram, or EKG, measures electrical activity of a heartbeat; a CT scan uses X-rays to take clear, detailed images of the heart.

The study is being presented at the American Heart Association's annual scientific conference Nov. 14-18 in Orlando.

“The EKG criteria for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy have a very poor sensitivity,” says Mohamad Sinno, M.D., cardiology fellow at Henry Ford Hospital and lead author of the study. “So when the EKG shows left ventricular hypertrophy, it doesn't allow the physician to make an accurate assessment, and further screening tools such as cardiac CT, MRI scan, or an echocardiogram are warranted.”

LVH, a condition in which the lower-left chamber of the heart grows abnormally thick, affects more than 16 percent of the adult population in the United States. It is caused by an underlying medical condition, most commonly high blood pressure, but often does not show symptoms until later in the disease process.

If left untreated, LVH has been shown to be an independent predictor for future adverse cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, arrythmias and death.

The study was funded by Henry Ford Hospital, 09-SS-A-18116-AHA.

Media Contact

David Olejarz EurekAlert!

More Information:

http://www.hfhs.org

All latest news from the category: Medical Engineering

The development of medical equipment, products and technical procedures is characterized by high research and development costs in a variety of fields related to the study of human medicine.

innovations-report provides informative and stimulating reports and articles on topics ranging from imaging processes, cell and tissue techniques, optical techniques, implants, orthopedic aids, clinical and medical office equipment, dialysis systems and x-ray/radiation monitoring devices to endoscopy, ultrasound, surgical techniques, and dental materials.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Lighting up the future

New multidisciplinary research from the University of St Andrews could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Centre in the School of Physics and…

Researchers crack sugarcane’s complex genetic code

Sweet success: Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants….

Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets….

Partners & Sponsors