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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Evaluación de criterios de ECG para el diagnóstico de hipertrofia ventricular izquierda en usuarios de esteroides
Rang Abdullah1, Astrid Bjørnebekk2, Lisa E Hauger3
1University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; ProCardio Center for Research Based Innovation, Department of Cardiology, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Research Group, Section for Clinical Addiction Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Background:
Anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) users represent a high-risk cardiovascular population. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) is a common complication, yet the utility of electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria for detecting LVH remains unexplored.
Objectives:
The objective of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of six commonly used ECG-LVH criteria in identifying echocardiographic LVH among long-term AAS users.
Methods:
We included 100 male AAS users, 32 with echocardiographic LVH and 68 without. Six ECG-LVH criteria (Sokolow-Lyon, Modified Sokolow-Lyon, Cornell voltage, Cornell product, Peguero-Lo Presti, and Romhilt-Estes) were assessed for sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values, using echocardiography as the reference standard. LV systolic function was evaluated by LV ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain.
Results:
AAS users with echocardiographic LVH exhibited more pronounced LV systolic dysfunction than those without, as shown by a higher number of individuals with LV ejection fraction ≤40% (7 [23%] vs 4 [6%], P = 0.02) and more impaired LV global longitudinal strain (-14.7% ± 2.7% vs -16.5% ± 2.2%, P = 0.002). Among voltage-based indices, Peguero-Lo Presti provided the best balance between sensitivity (31%) and specificity (88%). The point-based Romhilt-Estes using a cutoff of 5 offered comparable performance, with a sensitivity of 34% and specificity of 85%. However, most AAS users with echocardiographic LVH were not identified by ECG, with 69% remaining undetected by Peguero-Lo-Presti and 66% by Romhilt-Estes.
Conclusions:
ECG was insufficient for identifying echocardiographic LVH in AAS users who represent a high-risk cardiovascular population. Routine specialist evaluations, including echocardiography, should be considered for long-term AAS users to facilitate early detection of LVH and associated dysfunctions.
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