BACKGROUND Fat-free mass (FFM) has been proposed as an optimal normalization of left ventricular (LV) mass to body size. We sought to evaluate the novel FFM-based criteria of LV hypertrophy (LVH). METHODS AND RESULTS A population sample of 1371 men and women aged 25 to 74 years was examined by echocardiography and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Internal partition values for LVH were genera...

BACKGROUND Left ventricular (LV) mass ascertained using echocardiography may enhance risk stratification for sudden cardiac death. The objective of this study was to assess the association between left ventricular mass and the risk of sudden cardiac death in a population-based cohort and determine its incremental value beyond conventional risk predictors. METHODS AND RESULTS Assessment of LV ...

BACKGROUND Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, a marker of cardiac end-organ damage, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may reduce LV mass to a greater extent than other antihypertensive agents. We compared the effect of aliskiren, the first orally active direct renin inhibitor, the angiotensin-re...

BACKGROUND Left ventricular (LV) mass is an important predictor of heart failure and cardiovascular mortality, yet determinants of LV mass are incompletely understood. Pulmonary hyperinflation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may contribute to changes in intrathoracic pressure that increase LV wall stress. We therefore hypothesized that residual lung volume in COPD would be assoc...

In early diastole, pressure is lower in the apex than in the base of the left ventricle (LV). This early intraventricular pressure difference (IVPD) facilitates LV filling. We assessed how LV diastolic IVPD and intraventricular pressure gradient (IVPG), defined as IVPD divided by length, scale to the heart size and other physiological variables. We studied 10 mice, 10 rats, 5 rabbits, 12 dogs, ...

OBJECTIVES To estimate prevalence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and its relation to systolic function in a population-based sample of African Americans. DESIGN A baseline 2D guided M-mode echocardiogram was conducted as part of a longitudinal cohort study to assess prevalence and cross-sectional relationships between echocardiographic and clinical parameters. SETTING Data were collec...

BACKGROUND We studied the direction and magnitude of changes in left ventricular (LV) cavity size and mass over time and whether these changes were related to those in exercise performance in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS The study group was composed of 59 patients (55 men aged 58 +/- 10 years) with CHF and LV end-diastolic diameter (EDD) >55 mm. All underwent...

OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that Fabry cardiomyopathy in female patients might differ substantially from that in male patients and sought to prove this hypothesis in a large cohort consisting of 104 patients with Fabry disease. BACKGROUND Fabry cardiomyopathy in male patients is characterized by left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, impaired myocardial function, and subsequent progressive myocard...

This study was designed to quantitate the influence of 20 clinical, hemodynamic, and volume determinants of left ventricular (LV) structure. Systemic hemodynamics, intravascular volume, and LV echocardiographic measurements were collected in a heterogeneous population of 171 patients. Stepwise multiple-regression analysis indicated that body weight and body-surface area were the most powerful d...