Self-reported weight and height: implications for left ventricular hypertrophy detection. An Italian multi-center...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a significant cardiovascular risk factor.
• Accurate LVH detection relies on precise echocardiographic measurements, including left ventricular mass (LVM) indexation.
• Anthropometric data accuracy is crucial for reliable LVM indexation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the impact of self-reported versus measured body size on LVH detection using echocardiography.
• To assess the prevalence of LVH based on different anthropometric data inputs.
• To identify patient characteristics influencing the discrepancy in LVH detection.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 1963 outpatients undergoing routine echocardiography in Italy.
• Left ventricular mass (LVM) was indexed using both self-reported and measured height and weight.
• LVH was defined using two established gender-specific criteria (A: LVM/h^2.7, B: LVM/m^2).

Main Results:

• Self-reported body size led to an underestimation of LVH prevalence by 5.4% (criterion A) and 1.2% (criterion B).
• This underestimation was more pronounced in older patients and women compared to younger patients and men.
• The discrepancies were particularly significant when LVM was indexed to height^2.7.

Conclusions:

• LVH is frequently misclassified when left ventricular mass is normalized to self-reported anthropometric values.
• The use of measured body size is essential for accurate LVH diagnosis in echocardiography.
• Clinical characteristics, such as age and sex, influence the degree of misclassification.