BMJ  2007;335:787 (20 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39367.371736.BE

Letters

Detecting LVH

Ethnicity is relevant

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Pewsner et al highlight the danger of using electrocardiography (ECG) for detecting left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), particularly as it has low sensitivity.¹ They conclude that no criteria are superior to the Sokolow-Lyon criteria.² Our recent review supports the first, but not the second, conclusion.

Bourdillon (previous letter) emphasises the need to take into account age, sex, and ethnicity. In a systematic review of the literature, we identified five studies comparing the sensitivity and specificity of ECG (using the Sokolow-Lyon and Cornell criteria) for detecting LVH in white and black (African origin) populations.^{3 4 5}

Specificity was high using both sets of criteria in white populations (Cornell 87.4%, Sokolow-Lyon 88.9%) but was much lower in black groups using the Sokolow-Lyon criteria (72.1%). Specificity was higher in black groups using the Cornell criteria (86.2%). Some evidence suggested that Cornell criteria were more sensitive than Sokolow-Lyon criteria in black populations.

Our evidence favours the Cornell . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Colchester General Hospital, Colchester CO4 5JL, ² University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh EH8 9AG

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