Routine ECG screening beneficial for early prevention of CVD events, suggests JAMA study
Researchers have found that routine electrocardiogram (ECG) screening could significantly impact the cardiovascular health outcomes of working-age adults. A recent nationwide cohort study investigated the association between ECG abnormalities and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes among individuals aged 35 to 65 years in Japan Health Insurance Association's database. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine by Ryuichiro Yagi and colleagues.
The resting ECG is a widely used tool for screening cardiovascular diseases, but its prognostic significance in clinical settings remains underexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by analyzing data from over 3.6 million participants across seven years, focusing on the relationship between baseline ECG findings and subsequent cardiovascular events.
The study findings were as follows:
• The study included 3,698,429 individuals with a mean age of 47.1 years, where 16.8% had 1 minor ECG abnormality, 3.9% had 2 or more minor abnormalities, and 1.5% had a major abnormality.
Over a median follow-up of 5.5 years, participants with ECG abnormalities showed significantly higher rates of overall death and CVD hospital admissions:
• FDA grants marketing authorization to First Syphilis Screening Test for At-Home UseIncidence rates per 10,000 person-years: 92.7 (normal ECG), 128.5 (1 minor abnormality), 159.7 (≥2 minor abnormalities), and 266.3 (major abnormality).
• Adjusted hazard ratios: 1.19 (1 minor abnormality), 1.37 (≥2 minor abnormalities), and 1.96 (major abnormality).
Additionally, the presence of minor ECG abnormalities was strongly linked to developing new major ECG abnormalities:
• Incidence rates per 10,000 person-years: 85.1 (normal ECG), 217.2 (1 minor abnormality), and 306.4 (≥2 minor abnormalities).
• Adjusted hazard ratios: 2.52 (1 minor abnormality) and 3.61 (≥2 minor abnormalities).
These associations persisted regardless of baseline cardiovascular risk, highlighting the predictive value of ECG in identifying individuals at higher risk of cardiovascular events.
The findings underscore the potential role of routine ECG screening in identifying early signs of cardiovascular risk among working-age adults. In conclusion, this study provides evidence supporting the use of routine ECG screening as a valuable tool for early detection and prevention of cardiovascular events in the working-age population.
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