Prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities in primary care patients according to sex and age group. A retrospective observational study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities in a population is useful for interpreting the findings. The aim here was to assess the prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities and self-reported comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors according to sex and age group among Brazilian primary care patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational retrospective study on consecutive primary care patients in 658 cities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, whose digital electrocardiograms (ECGs) were sent for analysis to the team of the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais (TNMG). METHODS: All ECGs analyzed by the TNMG team in 2011 were included. Clinical data were self-reported and electrocardiographic abnormalities were stratified according to sex and age group. RESULTS: A total of 264,324 patients underwent ECG examinations. Comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors were more frequent among women, except for smoking. Atrial fibrillation and flutter, premature beats, intraventricular blocks, complete right bundle branch block and left ventricular hypertrophy were more frequent among men, and nonspecific ventricular repolarization abnormalities and complete left bundle branch block among women. CONCLUSION: Electrocardiographic abnormalities were relatively common findings, even in the younger age groups. The prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities increased with age and was higher among men in all age groups, although women had higher frequency of self-reported comorbidities.

Prevalence of ECG abnormalities and risk factors for QTc interval prolongation in hospitalized psychiatric patients

“…28 In primary care patients, the prevalence of ECG abnormalities in the age group from 20 to 39.9 years was 19.4% in females and 29.3% in males, and increased in older age groups. 29 Comparison of these results with ours is difficult, however, as the populations are not the same, and the categories used for the classification of the abnormalities are different.…”

Estatística Cardiovascular – Brasil 2021

“…231 • Os centros de telessaúde no Brasil forneceram informação sobre a prevalência de FA e flutter atrial com base em ECG da atenção primária. [232][233][234][235] No conjunto de dados sobre ECG do sistema de telessaúde de Minas Gerais, que incluiu 1.558.421 indivíduos (idade média, 51±18 anos; 40,2% homens) com ECG realizado entre 2010 e 2017, a prevalência de FA foi 1,33%, maior em homens (1,81% vs. 1,02%) e aumentando com a idade (OR 1,08, CI 95% 1,08-1,08), chegando a 7,0% nos octogenários (8,4% em homens vs. 5,9% em mulheres). 236 • Dados de 676.621 ECG (idade média, 51±19 anos; 57,5% mulheres) realizados de 2009 a 2016 foram analisados no serviço de telemedicina da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, revelando uma prevalência de FA em 7 anos de 2,2% e uma prevalência de FA projetada para 2025 no Brasil de 1,7%.…”

“…• Data from telehealth centers across Brazil have provided information on the prevalence of AF and atrial flutter based on ECG from primary care. 232 In the ECG dataset of the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais including 1 558 421 individuals (mean age, 51±18 years; 40.2% men) with ECG performed between 2010 and 2017, the AF prevalence was 1.33%, higher in men (1.81% vs. 1.02%), and increasing with age (OR 1.08, CI 95% 1.08-1.08), reaching 7.0% in octogenarians (8.4% in men vs. 5.9% in women). 236 …”

Major and minor ECG abnormalities depending on regional living conditions in Russia

“…Numerous published studies claimed high prospects of using the Minnesota Code Classi cation System of electrocardiograms (ECG) for diagnosing clinical forms of coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure, along with the prognosis of deaths from cardiovascular diseases [1][2][3][4][5]. The prevalence of major and minor ECG abnormalities was studied in the populations of different countries, including Belgium [6], China [7], Netherlands [8], USA [9], Pakistan [10], Brazil [11], Singapore [12], Poland [13], and Russia [14]. In addition to gender, age and race, some studies considered other conventional individual cardiovascular risk factors for the prevalence of ECG abnormalities in the population [8, 9,11,[15][16][17].…”

“…The prevalence of major and minor ECG abnormalities was studied in the populations of different countries, including Belgium [6], China [7], Netherlands [8], USA [9], Pakistan [10], Brazil [11], Singapore [12], Poland [13], and Russia [14]. In addition to gender, age and race, some studies considered other conventional individual cardiovascular risk factors for the prevalence of ECG abnormalities in the population [8, 9,11,[15][16][17]. However, the prevalence patterns of ECG abnormalities, depending on environmental conditions, were not su ciently studied at the population level.…”