Resting electrocardiogram and risk of coronary heart disease in middle-aged british men

Objective: To examine the relation between resting electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).Design and setting: This was a prospective study of 7735 middle-aged men aged 40–59 years at entry (British Regional Heart Study). At baseline assessment each man completed a modified World Health Organization (WHO) (Rose) chest-pain questionnaire, gave details of his medical history and had a three-lead orthogonal electrocardiogram recorded. ‘Symptomatic CHD’ refers to a history of anginal chest pain and/or a prolonged episode of central chest pain on WHO questionnaire and/or recall of a doctor diagnosis of CHD (angina or myocardial infarction).Main outcome measures: These were the first major CHD events, i.e. fatal CHD and non-fatal myocardial infarction, occurring during 9.5 years of follow-up.Results: Of 611 first major CHD events during follow-up, 243 (40%) were fatal. After adjustment for age, other ECG abnormalities and symptomatic CHD, the ECG abnormalities most stro...