title: Coronary artery dimensions: Iranian population versus Indo-Asians and Caucasians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dimensions of the coronary arteries have been shown to vary among ethnic groups. There are no data available regarding the normal size of coronary arteries in Iranians. This study aimed to investigate normal coronary artery dimensions in a Northwestern Iranian population and to compare it with pooled data of Indo-Asians and Caucasians in previous studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 200 adults with suspected coronary disease who were referred for elective coronary angiography between June 2012 and March 2013 and were found to have normal epicardial flow in the coronary arteries. Quantitative coronary angiography was carried out on the longest atheroma-free part of the proximal segment of each coronary artery in all patients. Two Indo-Asian and Caucasian groups were selected and pooled for comparison with the available reports on individuals without coronary artery disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean diameters of the left main coronary artery, proximal left anterior descending artery, proximal left circumflex, and proximal right coronary artery were 4.58 ± 0.80, 3.69 ± 0.64, 3.37 ± 0.73, and 3.47 ± 0.68 mm, respectively. The dimensions of the proximal part of the left main coronary artery and right coronary artery were significantly greater in the Northwestern Iranian population compared to the pooled Caucasian group. This difference was maintained even after correction for body surface area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate larger coronary diameters in the Iranian population compared to Caucasians or South-Asians. Hence the high prevalence of coronary artery disease in Iran cannot be explained by coronary dimensions.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Samad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Bagher
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mehdizadeh-Lame
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran nariman256@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nariman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sepehrvand
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aslanabadi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sohrabi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Separham
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Peiman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jamshidi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People
keywords: Anthropometry; Asian continental ancestry group; Coronary angiography; Coronary vessels; European continental ancestry group; Iran