[Impact of age and gender on cardiac structure and function in normal Chinese population].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the impact of age and gender on cardiac structure and left ventricular function in normal Chinese by echocardiography.


METHODS
Cardiac structure, valve flow velocity and cardiac function were measured by echocardiography in 15,692 healthy volunteers. Subjects were grouped by age at 5 years interval in population older than 5 years. Children under 5 years were divided into 3 age groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years). Hierarchical cluster analyses were performed for ages, based on indexes of cardiac structure and function respectively.


RESULTS
Six groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years, 6 - 10 years, 11 - 20 years, > or = 21 years) were generated after the age hierarchical cluster analyses based on index of cardiac structure. Four groups (< or = 30 years, 31 - 50 years, 51 - 80 years, > or = 81 years) were generated based on spectral current flow. Six groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years, 6 - 10 years, 11 - 15 years, > or = 16 years) were generated based on left ventricular systolic function and five groups (< or = 15 years, 16 - 30 years, 31 - 50 years, 51 - 80 years, > or = 81 years) were generated based on left ventricular diastolic function. Cardiac structure index were similar between male and female in age groups < or = 10 years and significantly lower in females than males in age groups > or = 11 years (P < 0.05). Valve flow velocity was similar between male and female in various age groups (P > 0.05). Left ventricular systolic function was similar between male and female in age groups < or = 10 years but was significantly higher in males than females in age groups > or = 11 years (all P < 0.05). Left ventricular diastolic function was similar between female and male in various age groups (P > 0.05) and equally decreased with aging in both female and male subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The cardiac development in Chinese population can be divided in 6 phases and becomes stable in subjects older than 21 years, left ventricular systolic function becomes stable in subjects older than 16 years and the left ventricular diastolic function declines physiologically with aging.
Li
Jing
J
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China. leejingabc@sina.com
Liu
Yan-ling
YL
He
Qing
Q
Hua
Qi
Q
Xue
Hong-qi
HQ
Gao
Jing
J
Wang
Jian-peng
JP
Lü
Xiu-zhang
XZ
Zhu
Zhen-hui
ZH
Ling
Yan
Y
Fan
Hai-rong
HR
Wang
Chuan-yu
CY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D055815:Young Adult