ECG body surface isointegral and isoarea maps (BSM) in 30 and 60-years-old healthy humans

ECG body surface isointegral and isoarea maps (BSM) are the sensitive indications of local electrical depolarization and repolarization changes both in controls and in coronary artery disease. In the present work the absolute values of maximum and minimum (extremum) in BSM have been compared in 24 healthy persons (20-36 years) with 18 older ones (54-70) of both sexes, non-smokers and without cardiovascular diseases in their medical history. Twenty-nine parameters of the heart electric field were registered by 96 unipolar electrodes placed regularly on the thorax and analyzed by the system Cardiag. A lower heart rate and a longer QT interval were found in older persons. The maximum (extremum) of isointegral and isoarea maps was less positive and the minimum was less negative in the older than in the younger subjects (p < 0.01). The maximum Q-wave amplitude on surface thorax was significantly lowers in older than in younger persons. The results confirmed the age-dependent decrease of QRS and T wave potentials.