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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Murine Echocardiography of Left Atrium, Aorta, and Pulmonary Artery
Published on: February 20, 2017
Symptomatic and asymptomatic left-ventricular systolic dysfunction in an urban population
T A McDonagh1, C E Morrison, A Lawrence
1Department of Cardiology, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
Left-ventricular systolic dysfunction is more prevalent than previously thought, affecting 2.9% of adults. Early detection through screening high-risk individuals for ischemic heart disease and hypertension is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Epidemiology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Previous studies on chronic heart failure (CHF) primarily used clinical criteria.
- Echocardiography is a key tool for assessing cardiac function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of left-ventricular systolic dysfunction using echocardiography.
- To identify risk factors associated with left-ventricular systolic dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of 1640 adults aged 25-74 was conducted.
- Echocardiography assessed left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using the biplane Simpson's method.
- Participants completed questionnaires and underwent blood pressure measurement, ECG, and echocardiography.
Main Results:
- The mean LVEF was 47.3%, with 2.9% of participants exhibiting definite left-ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF ≤ 30%).
- Prevalence increased with age and was higher in men (4.0%) than women (2.0%).
- Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and hypertension were significantly more common in individuals with left-ventricular systolic dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Left-ventricular systolic dysfunction is at least twice as common as clinically defined symptomatic heart failure.
- IHD and hypertension in the presence of IHD are primary risk factors.
- Screening high-risk populations for left-ventricular systolic dysfunction is advised.
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