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Updated: Jul 28, 2026
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Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure
Published on: January 14, 2014
What determines echogenicity in a general population? The Tromsø Study.
H Schirmer1, P Lunde, K Rasmussen
1Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway. henrik.schirmer@ism.uit.no
Summary
Echocardiography is difficult for individuals with high cardiovascular risk factors. These subjects often have higher age, obesity, and hypertension, necessitating alternative diagnostic methods.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Public Health
Background:
- Echocardiography is a key tool for assessing cardiac performance and anatomy.
- Adequate measurements are not always achievable in all individuals.
- Population-based screening can identify characteristics of unmeasurable subjects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the characteristics of subjects who are difficult or impossible to measure using echocardiography.
- To identify factors associated with unmeasurable cardiac anatomy and function.
Main Methods:
- A population-based sample of 3287 subjects aged 25-85 years was screened.
- Standard 2-dimensional guided M-mode echocardiography, pulsed, and color Doppler were employed.
- Left ventricular (LV) structure and function were assessed.
Main Results:
- Only 0.4% of subjects were unmeasurable by any echocardiographic technique.
- Good quality M-mode registrations were obtained in 2794 subjects, enabling LV mass and ejection fraction calculations.
- Unmeasurable subjects exhibited significantly higher age, BMI, blood pressure, waist/hip ratio, and were more likely to smoke, be male, take antihypertensives, have ischemic heart disease history, and have low physical activity.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with elevated cardiovascular risk factors are less likely to be measurable via echocardiography.
- The findings highlight a need for alternative noninvasive diagnostic methods for these high-risk individuals.
