Short distance bipolar electrocardiographic leads in diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy

The study evaluates the performance of closely separated (6 cm) bipolar leads in differentiating subjects with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) from normal subjects. The study population consists of 236 healthy subjects, 116 pure LVH patients) and 189 complex LVH patients. A total of 36 vertical, 30 horizontal and 66 diagonal bipolar leads located on the anterior thorax were analyzed. The findings of the study show that the best leads differentiating normals from pure and complex LVH subjects are vertical leads located on lower anterior thorax and mid-thoracic region, respectively. These leads have better performance and are more sensitive than clinically applied Sokolow-Lyon criteria. As a conclusion the new short distance bipolar leads are efficient in discriminating subjects with LVH from normal subjects based on QRS amplitude.