PROJECT SUMMARY

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is considered a cardiac condition secondary to both structural and functional adaptation of the heart leading to many life-threatening complications like myocardial ischemia, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, heart failure and even sudden cardiac death.1–4 Several studies reported that the potential risk factors of LVH included being male5,6, high blood pressure 7,8, insulin resistance9 and obesity10. Detecting and monitoring LVH, a strong predictor of cardiovascular diseases and death11, is crucial. Regression of LVH could reduce the risk of adverse outcomes.12

Approximately one half of the Thai population resides in rural areas where the characteristics of healthcare infrastructure and providers differ from those of urban settings especially in remote rural areas. In Thailand, a related study among adults in an urban setting in 2000 reported a prevalence of LVH at approximately 13%.13 However, only limited information is available on the prevalence of and factors potentially responsible for LVH among adults in remote rural communities. The required information is essential to focus on preventing problems. Even though echocardiography is a gold standard to detect LVH, the technology is unavailable to use in those remote areas and also requires more specialists to complete the process. However, ECG criteria for LVH have been illustrated as strong independent predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general population3,14. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of electrocardiographic-LVH (ECG-LVH) among adults in a remote rural community in central Thailand

Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available because the data sets contain confidential information. Thus, due to ethics restrictions concerning the data sets, they are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.