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Electrocardiographic measures of left ventricular hypertrophy show greater heritability than echocardiographic left

B M Mayosi1, B Keavney, A Kardos

  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.

European Heart Journal
|December 11, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Genetic factors significantly influence left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) measures. Electrocardiography (ECG) measures, particularly Sokolow-Lyon voltage, show higher heritability, suggesting their importance in studying genetic susceptibility to cardiac hypertrophy.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Genetics
  • Biometry

Background:

  • Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
  • Understanding the genetic contribution to LVH is crucial for identifying individuals at risk.
  • Electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography are key diagnostic tools for assessing LVH.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the heritability of continuous measures of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).
  • To compare the heritability of LVH assessed by electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography.
  • To identify which ECG or echocardiographic measures of LVH are most influenced by genetic factors.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 955 members from 229 Caucasian families.
  • Measured left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) using standard 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) and M-mode echocardiography.
  • Estimated heritability using familial correlations and variance components methods, adjusting for covariates and ascertainment.

Main Results:

  • Heritability estimates for LVH measures varied between methods.
  • Sokolow-Lyon voltage (ECG) showed higher heritability (39-41%) compared to echocardiographic left ventricular mass (23-29%).
  • Other ECG measures like Cornell voltage (19-25%) and Cornell product (28-32%) also demonstrated significant heritability.

Conclusions:

  • Genetic factors contribute substantially to the variability of quantitative LVH measures.
  • Electrocardiographic (ECG) phenotypes, especially Sokolow-Lyon voltage, may be more valuable for investigating the genetic basis of cardiac hypertrophy.
  • These findings highlight the potential of ECG in identifying genetic susceptibility to LVH.
Abstract

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