Prevalence of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities in the General Population: Insights from Electrocardiographic Screening of Individuals at a Tertiary Care Cardiac Center

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of cardiac rhythm abnormalities in adults without known cardiac arrhythmias during electrocardiographic (ECG) screening of the general population. Methodology: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study. Data was collected between May 2022 to November 2022. Adults aged ≥18 years who presented at the outpatient department of a cardiac care hospital as attendants were included. Individuals with known history of cardiac arrhythmias were excluded. Screening ECG was performed using a portable handheld ECG device (Alivecor). Demographic and clinical history data was collected on a validated proforma and informed verbal consent was obtained. The data was analysed using SPSS version 21. Results: A total of 776 individuals were screened, 78.6% (610) were males and 21.4% (166) were females with a mean age of 38.98 ± 9.51 years. The rhythm abnormalities were detected in 14.4%, out of these, 7.6% were symptomatic. The prevalence of abnormal rhythm was higher in individuals aged >40 years and females. Most common rhythm abnormality detected was premature ventricular complexes (4.2%), followed by premature atrial complexes (2.9%), sinus tachycardia (2.57%) and atrial fibrillation (2.1%). Higher prevalence was seen among individuals with a history of hypertension (41.1%), smoking (19.6%), prior history of coronary artery disease (CAD) (16.1%) and family history of premature CAD (16.1%). Conclusion: This study highlights the occurrence of significant rhythm abnormalities within the general population, many of which go undiagnosed. It is crucial to implement screening measures for individuals at risk to facilitate early detection of these disorders, ultimately helping to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.