title: Cardiac structure and function in relation to cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac structure and function are well-studied in Western countries. However, epidemiological data is still scarce in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study was conducted in the framework of cardiovascular health examinations for the current and retired employees of a factory and their family members. According to the American Society of Echocardiography recommendations, we performed echocardiography to evaluate cardiac structure and function, including left atrial volume, left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 843 participants (43.0 years) included 288 (34.2%) women, and 191 (22.7%) hypertensive patients, of whom 82 (42.9%) took antihypertensive drugs. The prevalence of left atrial enlargement, left ventricular hypertrophy and concentric remodeling was 2.4%, 5.0% and 12.7%, respectively. The prevalence of mild and moderate-to-severe left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was 14.2% and 3.3%, respectively. The prevalence of these cardiac abnormalities significantly (P ≤ 0.002) increased with age, except for the moderate-to-severe left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. After adjustment for age, gender, body height and body weight, left atrial enlargement was associated with plasma glucose (P = 0.009), and left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction were significantly associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P ≤ 0.03), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of cardiac structural and functional abnormalities increased with age in this Chinese population. Current drinking and plasma glucose had an impact on left atrial enlargement, whereas systolic and diastolic blood pressures were major correlates for left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chang-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Qi-Fang
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ji-Guang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling