New approaches to diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy by dipolar electrocardiography

AIM: To show possibilities of dipolar electrocardiography (DECG) in diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We made DECG in 151 healthy subjects and 158 hypertensive patients. To characterize DECG quantitatively, we used the integral activation duration index (IADI) calculated as a weighted sum of the areas with different duration of activation, module of the maximal vector QRS, QRSxIADI (IADIM). RESULTS: In patients with left ventricular myocardial mass index (LVMMI) under 150 g/m2, sensitivity of DECG was 38-49%, in the index over 150 g/m2 sensitivity reached 38-75%, specificity 89-98% compared to healthy examinees and 72-82% compared to hypertensive patients without LVH. The IADIM parameter correlates directly (moderate correlation) with duration of QRS complex and LVMMI. CONCLUSION: Possibilities of using parameters IADI and IADIM for assessment of electrophysiological myocardial remodeling and their correlation with other methods need further investigations.