Office of Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports

FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute


Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-74/6

Title and Subtitle: Amplitude/frequency differences in a supine resting single-lead electrocardiogram of normal versus coronary heart diseased males

Report Date: May 1974

Authors: Lategola MT, Layne PJ

Abstract: A resting 'normal' ECG can coexist with known angina pectoris, positive angiocardiography and previous myocardial infarction. In contemporary exercise ECG tests, a false positive/false negative total error of 10% is not unusual. Research aimed at improved screening detection of coronary heart disease (CHD) evaluated amplitude/frequency analysis of high fidelity ECG recordings.

Thirty normal males and 30 with documented CHD were selected. The results from the CM5 lead recorded at supine rest are presented. Comparison of the normal versus CHD groups across the 30-subject average amplitude values for each of 200 harmonics per segment revealed significant differences at most of the 200 harmonics. Two criteria, based only on the maximum and minimum amplitude values for each of the 200 harmonics, succeeded in individual screening separation of the normal versus CHD males.

The results compare favorably with those of seventeen clinical studies using exercise electrocardiography.

Key Words: Coronary Heart Disease, Early Detection, Aeromedical Screening, Electrocardiography, Amplitude/Frequency Analysis

No. of Pages: 28

Last updated: Friday, June 1, 2012