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Murine Echocardiography of Left Atrium, Aorta, and Pulmonary Artery
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Left Ventricular Mass as a Risk Factor in the Oldest Old
Michael Bursztyn1,2, David Leibowitz1,2, Irit Stessman-Lande1
1Jerusalem Institute of Aging Research, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center Mount-Scopus, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.)
|June 16, 2015
Summary
Higher left ventricular mass (LVM) in 85-year-olds is linked to increased 5-year mortality. This finding highlights the prognostic importance of cardiac structure in the oldest old population.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Elevated left ventricular mass (LVM) is associated with adverse outcomes in middle-aged and younger elderly populations.
- The prognostic significance of LVM in the oldest old (85 years and above) remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between left ventricular mass (LVM) and 5-year mortality among community-dwelling 85-year-old individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a representative sample (n=526) of the Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort Study, with echocardiography performed at age 85.
- Left ventricular mass was indexed by body surface area (LVM-BSA) and height (LVM-Ht).
- Statistical analysis adjusted for potential confounders to assess 5-year mortality rates.
Main Results:
- Five-year mortality was 21.7%.
- Increased LVM-BSA and LVM-Ht were significantly associated with higher adjusted 5-year mortality.
- A notable increase in mortality risk was observed around the third quintile for both LVM-BSA and LVM-Ht.
Conclusions:
- Elevated left ventricular mass is a significant predictor of mortality in the oldest old.
- These findings underscore the clinical relevance of assessing cardiac structure in very elderly individuals for risk stratification.
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