Electrocardiographic Risk Markers for Heart Failure in Women Versus Men

The American Journal of Cardiology
Mira Anette E HaukilahtiHeikki V Huikuri

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the Western world. Women have a lower HF hospitalization rate and mortality compared with men. The role of electrocardiography as a risk marker of future HF in women is not well known. We studied association of electrocardiographic (ECG) risk factors for HF hospitalization in women from a large middle-aged general population with a long-term follow-up and compared the risk profile to men. Standard 12-lead ECG markers were analyzed from 10,864 subjects (49% women), and their predictive value for HF hospitalization was analyzed. During the follow-up (30 ± 11 years), a total of 1,743 subjects had HF hospitalization; of these, 861 were women (49%). Several baseline characteristics, such as age, body mass index, blood pressure, and history of previous cardiac disease predicted the occurrence of HF both in women and men (p <0.001 for all). After adjusting for baseline variables, ECG sign of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (p <0.001), and atrial fibrillation (p <0.001) were the only baseline ECG variables that predicted future HF in women. In men, HF was predicted by fast heart rate (p = 0.008), T wave inversions (p <0.001), abnormal Q-waves (p = 0.002), and atri...Continue Reading

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