Racial differences in the ECG — selected aspects

Abstract Introduction Racial differences in the ECG have been known about for many years but there has been no significant comparison of large population groups. This study set out to remedy this shortcoming. Methods Digital ECG data were available for four population samples gathered in Scotland, Taiwan, Nigeria and India. All ECGs were recorded in the different countries and processed centrally by the University of Glasgow ECG Analysis Program. Measurements were analysed statistically to look for significant differences. Results There were 4223 individuals in the study (2559 males and 1664 females). In general terms, findings such as QRS duration being longer in males than females applied to all four races. More specifically, QRS voltages were higher in young black males compared to others, while ST amplitudes, as in V2, were higher in Chinese and Nigerian males than in Caucasians. Conclusion Race requires to be taken into account to enhance automated interpretation of the ECG.