Age‐ and Gender‐Dependent Left Ventricular Remodeling

• DOI: 10.1111/echo.12264
• Publication Date: 2013-06-06T15:10:45Z
• Authors: Catherine Gebhard; Barbara E. Stähli; Caroline E. Gebhard; Hanna Tasnady; Deborah Zihler; Manfred B. Wischn...; Rolf Jenni; Felix C. Tanner
• Keywords: Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Male; Aging; Sex Characteristics; Adolescent; Systole; Cardiac Volume; Heart Ventricles; Myocardium; Age Factors; Stroke Volume; Middle Aged; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Echocardiography; Reference Values; Humans; Female; Child; Aged; Retrospective Studies

BackgroundThe effect of age and gender on left ventricular (LV) size, muscle mass, and systolic function as determined by two‐dimensional echocardiography has not yet been investigated in a large population.MethodsNormal transthoracic two‐dimensional echocardiography studies of 5307 subjects (47% males) performed between March 1990 and December 2011 were analyzed. LV end‐diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), LV muscle mass index (LVMMI), LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and LV fractional shortening (LVFS) were compared in different age groups.ResultsLVMMI increased in females from 66.4 ± 1.3 g/m2 (7–20 years) to 76.3 ± 0.9 g/m2 (60–80 years; P < 0.0001) and in males from 81.9 ± 1.7 g/m2 (7–20 years) to 94.6 ± 1.3 g/m2 (60–80 years; P < 0.0001). LVEDVI decreased in females from 49.8 ± 0.9 mL/m2 (7–20 years) to 42.8 ± 0.6 mL/m2 (60–80 years; P < 0.0001) and in males from 56.6 ± 0.8 mL/m2 (7–20 years) to 49.0 ± 0.7 mL/m2 (60–80 years; P < 0.0001). A significant increase in LVEF was observed with age (P < 0.0001 for both genders), but it was more pronounced in females (62 ± 0.5% [age 7–20 years] vs. 65 ± 0.3% [age 60–80 years]) than in males (62 ± 0.5% [age 7–20 years] vs. 64 ± 0.3% [age 60–80 years]). Similarly, LVFS increased in females from 37.7 ± 0.5% (7–20 years) to 42.4 ± 0.4% (60–80 years; P < 0.001) and in males from 37.3 ± 0.5% (7–20 years) to 39.4 ± 0.5% (60–80 years; P < 0.001).ConclusionsLVEF, LVFS, and LVMMI increase with advancing age, in particular in females. In contrast, LVEDVI decreases with age. These findings indicate that the LV undergoes a lifelong remodeling.