Abstract    Left ventricular hypertrophy has emerged as a powerful non invasive indicator of increased vulnerability to the occurrence of major Cardiovascular disease outcomes in hypertension. Electrocardiography and Echocardiography are the two very common modalities used to detect Left Ventricular Hypertrophy. The question is which among the two is better in terms of efficacy. So the present study was undertaken, because in the Indian population, due to lack of resources, expensive investigations like Echocardiography may not be within the common man’s reach. A total of 50 patients were included in this study between the age group of 31-65 years after satisfying the inclusion and the exclusion criteria. All these patients who had Echocardiographic evidence of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy were compared with the Electrocardiographic Criteria using the Romhilt-Estes scoring system and Sokolow-Lyon voltage criteria system. Our study confirms that Romhilt and Estes point score is specific but insensitive and showed that the sensitivity of both the Electrocardiographic criteria for diagnosing Left Ventricular Hypertrophy increased with increasing body mass index. Our findings suggest that Echocardiography is a better modality for the detection of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy when compared to Electrocardiography because of lack of sensitivity of the Electrocardiographic criteria, even though it is slightly more expensive. In view of its’ prognostic implication, routine use of Echocardiography for” the detection of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy could be justified. However, Electrocardiography should keep its place in the detection of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy as an initial modality because of its easy availability. Hence the two procedures be regarded as complementary to each other rather than mutually exclusive.

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