Predicting coronary heart disease with traditional risk factors may be imprecise, but adding ECGs to the mix may help, especially in the elderly patient population, according to study results published in the April 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Implementing a widespread, cost-effective electrocardiographic screening program for young athletes could be feasible and potentially could help reduce the rate of sudden cardiac death, according to a study published in the October issue of HeartRhythm.

A multidisciplinary team of engineers and cardiologists reported that what appears to be noise on electrocardiograms (ECGs) contains useful information for estimating the risk of death for patients who experience acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In a study published in the Sept. 28 issue of Science Translational Medicine, the team proposed that sophisticated computational techniques applied to routinely collected ECG data could be integrated into clinical practice to provide more accurate risk stratification.

NEW ORLEANS--For those with a suspected ST-elevation MI (STEMI), calling an ambulance as opposed to arriving at the hospital by other means, can fast-track access to care. Also, patients who have an electrocardiogram (ECG) in the ambulance en-route to the hospital receive first-line care in half the time, yet nearly half of patients elect not to take an ambulance and among those who do, many do not get an ECG, according to data from the ACTIVATE-SF registry presented April 2 at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific sessions.

The prevalence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes is relatively low. The most common cause of SCD in this population is congenital cardiovascular disease, with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy being the most common cause. The American Heart Association calls for screening with physical history and exam, but others, notably in Europe, include a 12-lead ECG to the screening paradigm.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) of a young athlete represents the first manifestation of cardiac disease in up to 80 percent of young athletes who remain asymptomatic before sudden cardiac arrest occurs, which explains the limited power of screening modalities based solely on history and physical exam, according to a paper in the April issue of European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation.

Integrating pre-hospital intervention, including ECG transmissions, and having a cardiologist on site during presentation at the hospital is a cost-effective model for STEMI patients in communities with adequate patient volume, according to a poster presented at this years annual American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

Sharp HealthCare is a not-for-profit, integrated regional healthcare delivery system that includes four acute-care hospitals, three specialty hospitals and two medical groups and multiple clinics in the San Diego area.