Evidence on harms was limited , but direct harms seemed minimal ( for resting ECG ) or small ( for exercise ECG ) .
BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in adults .
Screening for abnormalities by using resting or exercise electrocardiography ( ECG ) might help identify persons who would benefit from interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk .
PURPOSE To up date the 2004 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force evidence review on screening for  resting or exercise ECG abnormalities in asymptomatic adults .
Independent risk for cardiovascular disease predicted by modified continuous score electrocardiographic criteria for 6-year incidence and regression of left ventricular hypertrophy among clinically disease free men: 16-year follow-up for the multiple risk factor intervention trial.
Risk prediction for electrocardiographic ( ECG ) left ventricular hypertrophy related criteria , used in clinical trials , and epidemiologic studies of clinical ly healthy people , has depended in the past on dichotomous classification of ECG LVH criteria . Recent analyses have shown that more sensitive methods of LVH ECG classification without loss of specificity are needed to improve on dichotomous classification . This was done by relating six year incident significant change in continuous score criteria of ECG LVH to the 16 year ( 10 year post trial ) coronary heart disease ( CHD ) and cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) mortality among 12,866 men , free of clinical disease , aged 35 to 57 years at baseline in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial . It was found that significant change in continuous ECG LVH criteria was a stronger independent predictor of future CHD and CVD mortality than was use of dichotomous classification of the same criteria . It was also demonstrated that increase in continuous ECG LVH indexes , below previous dichotomous thresholds independently ( of st and ard CVD risk factors , including increase in obesity-indicated by an increase in adult BMI ) predicted excess CHD and CVD mortality and that combinations of continuous indices increases the specificity and relative risk in clinical ly disease-free middle-aged men
Evidence on harms was limited , but direct harms seemed minimal ( for resting ECG ) or small ( for exercise ECG ) .
BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in adults .
Screening for abnormalities by using resting or exercise electrocardiography ( ECG ) might help identify persons who would benefit from interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk .
PURPOSE To up date the 2004 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force evidence review on screening for  resting or exercise ECG abnormalities in asymptomatic adults .