engleski

ECG findings and ALL-caussed mortality

We examined the relationship between electrocardiographic (ECG) findings and all-cause mortality. The analyses were based on data from an epidemiological? ; longitudinal study with follow-ups in 1972 and 1982. Subjects and methods: The sample was stratified by age and gender and included urban and rural population from 3 coastal (Split, Omiš and Split) and 2 continental regions in Croatia (Zagreb and Virovitica) (Pavlović et al, 1999). The analysis included 3364 individuals who participated in the study in 1972 (1571 male, 1793 female). All of them were invited in 1982 and 2423 responded (1093 male, 1330 female). All ECG findings were coded according to the Minnesota code and classified in four epidemiological classes advised by Prof. Duraković: normal (N), more normal than pathologic (N/P), more pathologic than normal (P/N) and pathologic (P) (Duraković, 1993). From 1997 to 1999, data about deaths and their causes were collected (men: 36% deaths, 64% censored ; women: 21% deaths, 79% censored). We estimated relative risks of death and 95% confidence intervals using the Cox regression with time dependent covariates, separately by gender (Colett, 1994). We analyzed two models separately by gender. First, we estimated only effect of ECG findings on all-cause mortality (Model I) taking class N as reference. In the second model we additionally wanted to adjust effects of age, smoking, systolic blood pressure, alcohol consumption, BMI, infarct and ischemic heard disease (IHD). We added these covariates into the Model II, taking class never drinking alcohol, and 24? ; BMI<30 as baseline. ECG findings, systolic blood pressure, smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, IHD and infarct were treated as time dependent. Analyses were performed using SAS. Results: In both models people who had N/P ECG findings had lower hazard of death that people with normal ECG. Men with N/P ECG had significantly for 55% lower hazard of all-cause death than men with normal ECG. After adjusting with age, this percentage is even greater (near 65%) statistically significant lower hazard of all-cause mortality. Women have near 10% lower hazard of all-cause death if they have N/P ECG in both models even though this result is not statistically significant. People who have P/N and P (significantly) ECG findings have higher hazard of all-cause death. Our results indicate that people who had more normal than pathologic ECG findings had (men-significantly) lower hazard of all-cause death than people with normal ECG did. These findings could be the results of fact that people who were aware of their heart problems but no serious one takes care of their health.

ECG; All-cause mortality; Cox regression

nije evidentirano