The role of anthropometry in the assessment of vectorcardiographic norms

There is scarcity of quantitative studies on the relationship between somatometric characteristics of chest configuration and vectorcardiographic variables. The objective of this study was to give a quantitative description of these relations in order to improve the recognition of normal vectorcardiographic ranges and limits. The magnitude of the maximum vector of atrial depolarization is strongly influenced by chest configuration, but not by age, while declination values of atrial activation are under the influence of both factors. The same holds for vectors of ventricular depolarization, while, as regards ventricular repolarization, somatometric variables are only related to the spacial orientation of the vector. Both age and chest configuration also influence the magnitude of the spacial angle between QRS and T integral vectors. These results speak for the need to consider somatometric data for correct assessment of normal limits of VCG variables. (Tab. 6, Fig. 1, Ref. 17.)