title: Echocardiographic left ventricular mass in a multiethnic Southeast Asian population: proposed new gender and age-specific norms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Left ventricular mass (LVM) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular outcome. We aimed to define normal reference values of LVM/body surface area (BSA) in a multiethnic Southeast Asian population across ages, and define demographic parameters that predict LVM/BSA.
  
  
  METHODS
  198 subjects (44% men, mean age 40 +/- 14 years, 82% Chinese, 13% Malay and 5% Indian) with no cardiovascular comorbidity and had normal echo images for age were included in the analysis. Echo LVM was calculated as: 1.04 x[(left ventricular internal diameter at end-diastole [LVIDd]+ interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole [IVSd]+ left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-diastole [LVPWd])(3)- LVIDd(3)x 0.8]+ 0.6(1), indexed by BSA (LVM/BSA)* and expressed as g/m(2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  BSA and blood pressure (BP) were comparable between dichotomous age groups < or >or= 50 years within the same gender. Women aged >or= 50 years had larger IVSD, LVPWd, LVM and LVM/BSA compared to younger cohort. (p < 0.01 for all variables). The 95th percentile of LVM in men and women were 189 g and 148 g respectively; corresponding values for LVM/BSA were 106 and 96 g/m(2). These values are consistently smaller than published values from the West. Age (r = 0.27, P < 0.001), gender (r =-0.30, P < 0.001), and systolic BP (r = 0.25, P = 0.003) were significant univariate predictors of LVM/BSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We therefore propose a different cutoff value for the diagnosis of LV hypertrophy among Southeast Asians.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Department, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Raymond_cc_wong@nuh.com.sg
authors.forename: Raymond Ching-Chiew
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: James Wei-Luen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: Anuj
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Lieng H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000208:ethnology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution