ECG-based cardiac screening programs: Legal, ethical, and logistical considerations

Screening asymptomatic people with a resting electrocardiogram (ECG) has been theorized to detect latent cardiovascular disease. However, resting ECG screening is not recommended for numerous populations, such as asymptomatic middle-age (sedentary) people, because it is not sufficiently sensitive to detect coronary artery disease. Although the issues raised in this article are common to all screening programs, this review focuses on 2 distinct programs: (1) screening elite athletes for conditions associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD); and (2) screening people age ≥65 years for atrial fibrillation (AF).
Source: Heart Rhythm - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Contemporary Review Source Type: research