Evaluation of hypertensive cardiac abnormalities using the Cornell product

Discrepancy between left ventricular hypertrophy by echocardiography and electrocardiographic hypertrophy: clinical characteristics and outcomes

Background

The clinical significance of the discrepancy between left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by echocardiography and ECG remains to be elucidated.

Methods

After excluding patients who presented with pacemaker placement, QRS duration ≥120 ms and cardiomyopathy and moderate to severe valvular disease, we retrospectively analysed 3212 patients who had undergone both scheduled transthoracic echocardiography (echo) and ECG in a hospital-based population. Cornell product >2440 mm · ms was defined as ECG-based LVH; left ventricular mass index >115 g/m² for men and >95 g/m² for women was defined as echo-based LVH. The study population was categorised into four groups: patients with both ECG-based and echo-based LVH (N=131, 4.1%), those with only echo-based LVH (N=156, 4.9%), those with only ECG-based LVH (N=409, 12.7%) and those with no LVH (N=2516, 78.3%).

Results

The cumulative 3-year incidences of a composite of all-cause death and major adverse cardiovascular events were 32.0%, 33.8%, 19.2% and 15.7%, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, the HRs relative to that in no LVH were 1.63 (95% CI 1.16 to 2.28), 1.68 (95% CI 1.23 to 2.30) and 1.09 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.41) in patients with both ECG-based and echo-based LVH, those with only echo-based LVH, and those with only ECG-based LVH, respectively.

Conclusions

Echo-based LVH without ECG-based LVH was associated with a significant risk of adverse clinical events, and the risk was comparable to that in patients with both echo-based and ECG-based LVH.

Levels of cornell voltage and cornell product for predicting cardiovascular and stroke mortality and morbidity in the general Japanese population

BACKGROUND

ECG-diagnosed left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the Cornell voltage (CV: ≥2.8mV in males and ≥2.0mV in females) or Cornell product (CP: ≥244.0mV×ms), were selected in Western countries for their ability to diagnose anatomical LVH.

METHODS AND RESULTS

 We aimed to elucidate the CV and CP values that were associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular or stroke mortality and morbidity in a Japanese general population (n=10,172). In the receiver-operating curves analysis of CV and CP for predicting the risks, the area under the curve in females was greater than in males. In a quintile-based multivariate analysis that was performed separately for females and males, the mortality and morbidity risks of CV were significantly increased at the highest quintile of CV (>1.71mV) in females. In males, the mortality risk was significantly increased at the highest quintile of CV (>2.04mV). Additionally, in the parallel analysis of CP that included both males and females, the morbidity risk was significantly elevated in subjects with CP belonging to the 4th (158.7-193.4mV×ms; hazard ratio=1.387) or 5th quintiles (≥193.5mV×ms; hazard ratio=1.507), compared with those with CP values within the lowest quintile (<101.9mV×ms).

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiovascular and stroke risks may be elevated at lower levels of CV and CP in Japanese subjects, especially females. 

Cornell product left ventricular hypertrophy in electrocardiogram and the risk of stroke in a general population

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), assessed by ECG, is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events among hypertensive subjects. We evaluated the risks of LVH in a Japanese general population including normotensive and prehypertensive subjects. We measured ECG and blood pressure in 10 755 subjects at baseline. The Cornell product (CP) and Sokolow-Lyon (SL) voltage were calculated as markers of LVH (CP >or=2440 mm x ms and SL voltage >or=38 mm). Follow-up was performed for 10 years, and the incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction was evaluated. The prevalence of CP-LVH was 2.7% for normotensives, 5.2% for prehypertensives, and 11.0% for hypertensives, and the prevalence of SL-LVH was 5.0%, 8.2%, and 15.2%, respectively. In all of the subjects, CP-LVH and SL-LVH were both predictors of stroke (CP-LVH: hazard risk: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.20, P=0.002; SL-LVH: hazard risk: 1.29, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.71, P=0.07) after adjustment for confounding factors but were not predictors of myocardial infarction. The adjusted hazard ratio of CP-LVH predicting stroke was especially high in the normotensives (hazard risk: 7.53; 95% CI: 3.39 to 16.77). In the normotensives, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia were significant determinants of CP-LVH but not of SL-LVH. In all of the hypertensive subgroups (normotensives, prehypertensives, and hypertensives), the c-statistic for the equation predicting stroke increased when CP-LVH was added to the model but not when SL-LVH was added. In conclusion, both CP-LVH and SL-LVH are risk factors for stroke in the Japanese general population. CP-LVH is related to glucose abnormality, and its predictive value for stroke is seen even in normotensives and prehypertensives.