Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
Abstract
Hypertension is a prevalent public health issue, often asymptomatic, and frequently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). LVH, a response to increased wall stress, is commonly seen in hypertensive individuals and significantly raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases, morbidity and mortality. Various diagnostic methods for LVH, including electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (ECHO), differ in accessibility and accuracy. This study aims to explore the reliability of ECG compared to ECHO in diagnosing LVH among hypertensive patients. The specific objectives are to estimate the efficiency of clinical evaluation and ECG in diagnosing LVH, to compare the reliability of ECG with ECHO and to assess the validity of ECG in diagnosing LVH in these patients. The study was conducted from November 2010 to March 2012 at K.V.G Medical College Hospital, involving 100 patients with essential hypertension. Using a cross‐sectional design and simple random sampling, detailed clinical histories, clinical examinations and relevant investigations were performed. ECG and ECHO were used to assess the presence of LVH. The sensitivity, specificity and agreement of three ECG criteria (Sokolow‐Lyon index, Romhilt and Estes score and total QRS voltage criteria) were compared against ECHO findings. The prevalence of LVH increased with the duration of hypertension, with an overall prevalence of 60%. Clinical evaluation for LVH had a sensitivity of 30% and specificity of 100%. The Sokolow‐Lyon index showed a sensitivity of 40% and specificity of 90%, the Romhilt and Estes score had a sensitivity of 41.2% and specificity of 80%, and the total QRS voltage criteria showed the highest sensitivity (60%) and specificity (92.5%). The total QRS voltage criteria demonstrated the highest accuracy and agreement with ECHO. Echocardiography is the most reliable method for diagnosing LVH. While ECG can serve as an initial screening tool, especially in resource‐limited settings, the total QRS voltage criteria showed the highest reliability among the ECG methods. Regular screening and improved access to ECHO are recommended for comprehensive management of hypertensive patients.
How to cite this article:
Alaka S. Hegde, S. Gopal Rao, C. Ramachandra Bhat and Prakash Rao. Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Hypertension‐Correlation between Electrocardiography and Echocardiography.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.36478/makrjms.2024.9.49.54
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/10.36478/makrjms.2024.9.49.54