Cardiovascular Function in Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis: Normal Values by Age, Sex, and Ethnicity

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. MRI provides accurate and high-resolution measurements of cardiac anatomy and function. The purpose of this study was to describe the imaging protocol and normal values of left ventricular (LV) function and mass in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Eight hundred participants (400 men, 400 women) in four age strata (45–54, 55–64, 65–74, 75–84 years) were chosen at random. Participants with the following known cardiovascular risk factors were excluded: current smoker, systolic blood pressure > 140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure > 90 mm Hg, fasting glucose > 110 mg/dL, total cholesterol > 240 mg/dL, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol < 40 mg/dL. Cardiac MR images were analyzed using MASS software (version 4.2). Mean values, SDs, and correlation coefficients in relationship to patient age were calculated.RESULTS. There were significant differences in LV volumes and mass between men and women. LV volumes were inversely associated with age (p < 0.05) ...