Comparison of m-mode echocardiographic left ventricular mass measured using digital and strip chart readings: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological and clinical studies frequently use echocardiography to measure LV wall thicknesses and chamber dimension for estimating quantitative measures of LV mass. While echocardiographic M-mode LV images have traditionally been measured using hand-held calipers and strip-chart paper tracings, digitized M-mode LV image measurements made directly on the computer screen using electronic calipers have become standard practice. We sought to determine if systematic differences in LV mass occur between the two methods by comparing LV mass measured from simultaneous M-mode strip chart recordings and digitized recordings.


METHODS
The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study applied the latter method. To determine if systematic differences in LV mass occur between the two methods, LV mass was measured from simultaneous M-mode strip chart recordings and digitized recordings.


RESULTS
We found no difference in LV mass (p > .25) and a strong correlation in LV mass between the two methods (r = 0.97). Neither age, sex, nor hypertension status affected the correlation of LV mass between the two methods.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that digital estimates of LV mass provide unbiased estimates comparable to the strip-chart method.
Arnett
Donna K
DK
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA. arnett@epi.umn.edu
Skelton
Thomas N
TN
Liebson
Philip R
PR
Benjamin
Emelia
E
Hutchinson
Richard G
RG
D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009929:Organ Size; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology