Introduction: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and obesity are important cardiovascular risk factors. This study evaluates the influence of obesity on the diagnostic performance of the most used electrocardiographic criteria for LVH in hypertensive patients.
Methods: One thousand two hundred four outpatients from the Hypertensive Unit of the Hospital São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, were studied. All underwent 12-lead electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. The most known electrocardiographic criteria for LVH were assessed and compared with the left ventricular mass index obtained by echocardiogram in obese and nonobese groups of hypertensive patients.
Results: The population's mean age was 57.4 +/- 4.7 years; 351 were men (29.1%) and 853 women (70.8%). Cornell voltage, Cornell duration, Sokolow-Lyon voltage, Romhilt-Estes criteria, and R wave in aVL 11 mm or higher showed a positive correlation with left ventricular mass index (P < .05). Notwithstanding, there were no changes regarding specificity for obese or nonobese characteristics. However, sensitivity had a statistically significant decrease in obese patients in regard to Sokolow-Lyon voltage and Romhilt-Estes criteria and strain pattern (P < .05).
Conclusion: Cornell voltage and Cornell duration criteria, Perugia score, R wave in aVL, and QTc variable had no significant changes in diagnostic sensitivity in the obese patients.