Prevalence of ECGs Exceeding Thresholds for ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Apparently Healthy Individuals: The Role of Ethnicity

Background Early prehospital recognition of critical conditions such as ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has prognostic relevance. Current international electrocardiographic STEMI thresholds are predominantly based on individuals of Western European descent. However, because of ethnic electrocardiographic variability both in health and disease, there is a need to reevaluate diagnostic ST-segment elevation thresholds for different populations. We hypothesized that fulfillment of ST-segment elevation thresholds of STEMI criteria (STE-ECGs) in apparently healthy individuals is ethnicity dependent. Methods and Results HELIUS (Healthy Life in an Urban Setting) is a multiethnic cohort study including 10 783 apparently healthy subjects of 6 different ethnicities (African Surinamese, Dutch, Ghanai