BACKGROUND Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is one of the preclinical manifestations of hypertensive target organ damage (TOD). However, it remains unclear which electrocardiographic criterion perform better in diagnosing LVH. OBJECTIVE To investigate the consistency of LVH diagnosed by electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (ECHO). Taking LVH by ECHO as reference, to compare three different ECG criteria (Sokolow-Lyon, Cornell and Cornell Product criteria) and find the best ECG indicator for identifying LVH in community-based elderly Chinese. METHODS Echocardiography and electrocardiography were applied to define LVH in 1789 elderly Chinese aged >65 years old in communities located at the northern Shanghai. Echocardiographic LVH (ECHO-LVH) was defined by left ventricular mass indexed for Body Surface Area (LVM/BSA) or for height2.7 (LVM/height2.7). Electrocardiographic LVH (ECG-LVH) was defined by Sokolow-Lyon (SL), Cornell and Cornell Product (CP) criteria. ECHO-LVH was defined by LVM/BSA≥125 g/m2 in male or ≥110 g/m2 in female (LVH1); LVM/BSA≥115 g/m2 in male, or ≥95 g/m2 in female (LVH2) and LVM/height2.7 ≥51 g/m2.7 in male or ≥47 g/m2.7 in female (LVH3). RESULTS As compared with SL and Cornell criteria, CP had the greatest correlation coefficient in the association with echocardiography-defined LVH, except for LVM/BSA in men. Of note, CP criterion had the greatest area under curve of ROC than Cornell criterion and the SL index, not only in total population but also in subgroups classified by blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS In ECG-LVH criteria, CP criterion complies better than SL index and Cornell criterion in assessing cardiac hypertrophy.