NORMATIVE DATA FOR ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC CHAMBER DIMENSIONS IN SOUTH-ASIANS

Abstract

Objectives: The study was carried out in an attempt to establish normograms for chamber sizes in local setting, define the normal reference intervals and
formulate prediction equations.
Methodology: The final study group consisted of 1311 subjects.
Echocardiographic dimensions were measured with “Powervision 7000”
scanner (Model SSA-380A software version 4.0, Toshiba, Nasu, Japan) using a
2.5 MHz sector probe with the subjects in left lateral position.
Results:The study included 713 men and 598 women aged 47.9±18.5 and
46.9±14.8 years respectively.Men generally had greater average height, weight,
BSA and BMI than women (p values <0.005). Gender specific aortic root and LA
diameters and their BSA and height derived indices are described as mean ± SD
th th and 5 and 95 percentile ranges along with ASE recommended reference
intervals for comparison.The centile values for LA diameter showed a wider
range than the ASE recommended limits. The values for PWT, RWT, EF and FS
th carried higher 95 percentiles than ASE recommended upper limits.All chamber
parameters showed significant correlations with BSA (p < 0.005).
Conclusion: The practice of utilizing normograms in adult echocardiographic
examinations is poorly applied and the scientific data for predictive equations in
adults is scarce. Large enough studies on ethnically diverse populations, using
allometric scaling to FFM and redefining the cutoffs call for future research.