Variations in indexation of left atrial volume across different races

Left atrial volume (LAV) has prognostic value. Guidelines propose indexation to body surface area (BSA), however studies demonstrate this can overcorrect for body size. Limited studies investigate indexation across different ethnicities. We sought to evaluate the effect of ethnicity on indexation.

Using data from the World Alliance of Societies of Echocardiography (WASE) cohort, healthy subjects were classified by race as White, Black, Asian, or Other. Biplane LAV was indexed to traditional isometric measurements (BSA, height, weight, ideal body weight (IBW) and IBW derived BSA (IBSA)), as well as previously-derived allometric height exponents (2.7 and 1.72). Additionally, an allometric height exponent for our cohort was derived (linear regression of the logarithmic transformation of LAV = a(height)^b) as 1.87. All indices were then assessed using Spearman correlation, with a good index retaining correlation of LAV/index to raw LAV (r∼1), while avoiding overcorrection by the index (r∼0).

There were 1366 subjects (White: 524, Black: 149, Asian: 523, Other: 170; median age 44 years, 653 females (47.8%)). In the entire group, BSA, IBSA, height^1.87 and height^1.72 performed well with retaining correlation to raw LAV (r > 0.9 for all), and minimising overcorrection to body size (r < 0.1 for all). On race-specific analysis, BSA overcorrected for body size in the White population (r = 0.128). Height^1.72 minimised overcorrection for body size in all populations (r ≤ 0.1 for all races).

Despite a cohort with normal BMI, there was still disparity in LAV indexation with BSA across races. Allometric height indexation, particularly using height^1.72, is a possible solution, although further validation studies in BMI extremes are required.