Prognostic value of myocardial injury-related findings on resting electrocardiography for cardiovascular risk in the asymptomatic general population: the 12-year follow-up report from the Ansan-Ansung cohort

Abstract

Background: We investigated the predictive values of myocardial injury-related findings (MIFs) including ST-T wave abnormalities (STA) and pathologic Q waves (PQ) in electrocardiography for long-term cardiovascular outcomes in an asymptomatic general population. Methods: We observed 8444 subjects without cardiovascular diseases and related symptoms biennially over a 12-year period. Major cardiovascular adverse events (MACEs) were defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and stroke. Results: MACEs occurred more frequently in subjects with STA (9.1% vs. 5.2%, p