Summary

This article discusses a study that has clarified the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in Jamaican adults. LVH, which is frequent in patients with hypertension, can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. LVH has been diagnosed by echocardiography (ECHO) in patients with normal results on electrocardiography (ECG). Although ECHO is more accurate at diagnosing LVH, it is not always readily accessible. On the other hand, ECG, which is widely available, often does not correlate with ECHO findings.