Relationship between left ventricular muscle volume and body surface area corrected by subcutaneous fat weight in...

Left ventricular muscle volume (LVMV) was measured echocardiographically in 688 normal children ranging in age from 5 to 15. Lean body surface area (BSA) was obtained from height and lean body weight, which was estimated using triceps skinfold thickness, upper arm circumference and body weight. Regression lines of LVMV against BSA or lean-BSA were compared between boys and girls. There was statistically significant sex difference in regression lines when LVMV were plotted against BSA (p less than 0.005), but this difference disappeared when plotted against lean-BSA. We conclude that the sex difference of LVMV with a similar BSA originates from the difference of lean body weight between boys and girls.