Does the use of different body size indexes for left ventricular mass normalization affect the prediction of cardiovascular morbidity in hypertensive adults?
Allometric scaling of left ventricular mass to height^2.7 derived across the entire age spectrum enhances the prediction of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive adults compared to other body size indexes.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether growth influences the relation between left ventricular mass and body size and whether use of different body size indexes affects the ability of ventricular mass to predict complications of hypertension. BACKGROUND: Allometric (or growth) signals between left ventricular mass and height have recently been reported to improve previous approaches for normalization of ventricular mass for body size. METHODS: Residuals of left ventricular mass-height2.7 relations were analyzed in a learning series of 611 normotensive, normal-weight subjects 4 months to 70 years old and, separately, in 383 children ( 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: These results show the following: 1) Variability of left ventricular mass in relation to height increases during human growth; 2) allometric signals of left ventricular mass versus height are lower in adults and children than those obtained across the entire age spectrum; 3) height-based indexes of left ventricular mass at least maintain and may enhance prediction of cardiac risk by hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy; and 4) the allometric signal derived across the entire spectrum of age appears to be more useful for prediction of cardiovascular risk than that computed in adults.
Simone et al. (1995) studied this question.