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Age- and gender-related reference values of cardiac morphology and function in cardiovascular magnetic resonance
Johannes H Riffel1, Rebecca Mayo2, Matthias Mueller-Hennessen2,3
1Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. johannesriffel@web.de.
Insights
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) provides reference values for heart size and function. This study establishes age- and gender-specific normal ranges for cardiac morphology and function in healthy adults using CMR.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the gold standard for assessing cardiac structure and function.
- Establishing normative data is crucial for accurate interpretation of CMR findings.
- Previous reference values may not reflect current imaging protocols or diverse populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine age- and gender-specific reference values for cardiac morphology and function using CMR.
- To provide updated normative data aligned with current guidelines.
- To facilitate accurate clinical interpretation of cardiac assessments.
Main Methods:
- A standard CMR scan was performed on 454 healthy volunteers (235 men).
- Participants were stratified by sex and age into six groups.
- Left ventricular volumes (LV-EDV, LV-ESV) and mass (LV-M) were measured, including trabecular tissue.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in cardiac volumes were observed between genders, with higher values in men.
- A notable age-dependent decrease in left and right ventricular volumes was found.
- Left ventricular mass showed no significant age-related differences, while longitudinal function parameters differed by sex and declined with age.
Conclusions:
- This study provides comprehensive, guideline-adherent reference values for cardiac volumes, function, and mass from a large healthy cohort.
- These established normal values can be integrated into routine clinical practice for standardized CMR interpretation.
- The findings highlight important age and sex variations in cardiac parameters, essential for accurate diagnosis.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the reference standard for the quantitative assessment of cardiac morphology and function. The aim of the study was to determine age- and gender-related reference values for cardiac morphology and function according to current recommendations. 454 healthy volunteers (235 men, median age 52.0 (44.0-59.0) years) underwent a standard CMR scan and were divided into six groups of nearly equal size with regard to sex (male, female) and age (21-47 years, 48-57 years, 58-84 years). Left ventricular end-diastolic (LV-EDV) and end-systolic (LV-ESV) volumes and LV mass (LV-M) were measured at end-diastole and end-systole in steady-state free precession series with including papillary muscles and trabecular tissue in the LV-M. Absolute and indexed volumetric parameters were significantly different between gender groups with higher values in men compared to women (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant age-dependent decline could be observed for left ventricular and right ventricular volumes (all p < 0.001), while LV-M did not show differences between the different age-groups. Parameters of longitudinal function for the left and right ventricle were higher in female compared to male subjects with a significant age-dependent decline. We provided normal values for cardiac volumes, function, and mass derived in accordance with current guidelines from a large population of healthy subjects, which can be implemented in clinical routine as a standard of reference.
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