title: Evaluation of the echocardiogram as an epidemiologic tool in an asymptomatic population.
abstract: An asymptomatic adult population of 196 men and women was studied with the echocardiogram to derive age- and sex-specific "normal" values for a number of clinically used echocardiograhic variables. The results are in general agreement with previously published normal values. Body position during the examination, age and sex influence the echocardiographic results; body surface area correction normalized most of these effects. The prevalence of occult abnormalities determined by the echocardiogram is 7%; the most common finding was mitral valve prolapse. Inter- and intraobserver variability was assessed. The interobserver differences found on analysis are statistically, but not clinically , significant. The echocardiogram appears to be a suitable tool to use in epidemiologic studies to detect selected cardiac abnormalities, but is limited for this purpose because some subjects in such a population cannot be adequately examined.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002140:California; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000175:diagnosis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D011159:Population Surveillance