gms | German Medical Science

Objective: To obtain estimates of the prevalence of ECG abnormalities in a sample from the general population and to investigate possible relations to age, sex, and lifestyle related factors.

Methods: Data were obtained from the ECG records of 1825 men and 1895 women participating in the Study of Health in Pomerania. All tracings were coded on the basis of Minnesota code criteria. Logistic regression models were used to calculate prevalences with respect to confounders.

Results: Prevalences of abnormal ECG findings rose exponentially with age in both sexes. Major ECG findings were observed in 11.1% of men and 8.1% of women, resulting in an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.66). Likewise, the prevalence of minor ECG changes was higher among men (21.6% versus 16.6% in women; OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11-1.49). Independent of age, smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and educational status, there were significantly higher prevalences of high R waves, atrioventricular block, right bundle branch block, any bundle branch block, and atrial fibrillation or flutter in men compared to women. In contrast, the adjusted prevalences of ischemic signs, Q/QS patterns, and T wave abnormalities were lower in men than in women.

Conclusions: Important ECG abnormalities were frequently found in this sample from the general population, and were strongly age related. Moreover, there were substantial sex-differences for some, but not all, abnormalities.