Screening ECG Abnormalities Portend Adverse Cardiac Events in Older Adults

Traditional risk factors are less accurate for predicting coronary heart disease (CHD) in older adults than in middle-aged adults. Resting electrocardiography (ECG) is not recommended for screening asymptomatic adults, but may be useful in older adults given their higher prevalence of CHD.

A population-based sample of 2200 adults (mean age at entry, 74; 55% women; 59% white) without known CHD was assessed with resting ECG. About 23% had major ECG abnormalities at baseline (e.g., Q-wave abnormalities, left ventricular hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation or flutter, major ST–T wave anomalies). An additional 13% had minor ST–T wave changes. During a median follow-up of 8 years, 351 incident CHD events occurred (96 CHD deaths, 101 acute myocardial …