Cardiac morphology and function reference values derived from a large subset of healthy young Caucasian adults by...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is vital for assessing cardiac anatomy and function, especially for borderline results.
• A lack of comprehensive reference values in young, healthy adults limits CMR's diagnostic accuracy in this demographic.
• Establishing normative data is essential as CMR is increasingly used to differentiate normal from equivocal cardiac conditions in younger populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine reliable cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) reference values for cardiac anatomy and function.
• To create a large database of normative data in a cohort of young, healthy Caucasian adults.
• To provide essential data for improving the interpretation of CMR scans in both clinical practice and research.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 434 healthy Caucasian adults (aged 26 ± 4 years, 45% male) without cardiovascular disease or risk factors underwent CMR.
• Comprehensive assessments included blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and plasma markers (lipids, glucose, troponin, Nt-pro-BNP).
• Cardiac parameters such as ventricular and atrial volumes, mass, and wall thickness were measured and analyzed, considering gender and age.

Main Results:

• Significant gender differences were observed in ventricular and atrial volumes and left ventricular mass, with men generally having larger measurements.
• End-diastolic wall thickness was greater in men, while end-systolic wall thickening (segmental function) was similar between genders.
• Older individuals exhibited lower ventricular volumes and higher left atrial volumes, whereas left ventricular mass was not associated with age.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first extensive database of reference ranges for cardiac function, volumes, and mass derived from CMR in young, healthy Caucasian men and women.
• The established reference values are crucial for enhancing the accuracy of CMR interpretations in clinical diagnostics and research endeavors.
• These findings will aid clinicians and researchers in more precisely evaluating cardiac health and identifying subtle abnormalities in young adults.