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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
10:21
Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix
Published on: June 14, 2016
Left ventricular hypertrophy, subclinical atherosclerosis, and inflammation
Sameer K Mehta1, J Eduardo Rame, Amit Khera
1Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center and Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9047, USA.
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|April 4, 2007
Summary
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is linked to coronary artery calcium (CAC) and atherosclerosis. Concentric LVH independently predicts subclinical atherosclerosis, explaining increased heart attack risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a known risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease.
- Mechanisms linking LVH to atherosclerosis require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if LVH is independently associated with coronary artery calcium (CAC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the general population.
- To investigate the relationship between LVH markers and subclinical atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Dallas Heart Study, a population-based sample of 2633 individuals.
- Cardiac MRI measured LV structure; electron beam CT measured CAC; plasma CRP levels were measured.
- Univariate and multivariable analyses assessed associations between LVH markers, CAC, and CRP.
Main Results:
- Increasing LV mass, LV wall thickness, and concentricity were associated with CAC (P<0.001).
- LV wall thickness and concentricity remained independently associated with CAC after adjusting for traditional risk factors.
- Associations were stronger in Black individuals and showed a trend with elevated CRP levels.
Conclusions:
- Concentric LVH is an independent risk factor for subclinical atherosclerosis.
- LVH is associated with an inflammatory state, potentially explaining increased myocardial infarction risk.
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