Echocardiographically Detected Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: Prevalence and Risk Factors in Thai Elderly Men and Women
SOMRAK CHANTRA, M.D.*, BANHARN BHUTHONG, M.D.*
Affiliation : * Sakaeo Crown Prince Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Sakaeo 27000, Thailand.
Objective : To find the prevalence of and risk factors associated with echocardio-
graphically determined left ventricular hypertrophy (L VH) in the general Thai elderly men and
women.
Background : The prevalence of LVH and risk factors is not at present available for
precise assessment of the seriousness in the general Thai population. The prevalence of L VH may
be influenced by race, obesity, age, sex and hypertension. Their effects on left ventricular mass
(L VM) have not been defined in the general Thai population.
Method : A cohort of 157 subjects 60 years of age and over was studied. L VM was
calculated using the modification of the ASE cube formula. Criteria for L VH were based on various
LVM indexation using the published conventional partition values. Univariate and multivariate
analyses with various variables were studied.
Result: M-mode echocardiographic studies of adequate quality were obtained in 125
(80%) of !57 participants. Prevalence of L VH depended on the different types of indexation. L VH
defined by 1) unindexes LVM (~259g in men (M), ~166 g in women (F)) was 35(28'?f ); 2)
defined by LVM/BSA (~131 glm1 in M, ~!00glm
1 in F) 63 (50%); 3) (~117 g/m' in M, ~104 glm'
in F) 68 (54%); 4) (~125 g/m2 in both M and F) 43 (34%); 5) defined by LVM/ height (~143 g/m
in M and ~102 g/m in F) 49 (39%); 6) (~126 g/m in M and ~105 g/m in F) 52 (42%); 7) defined by
L VM/heighe (~51 g/m2 7 in both M and F) 62 (50%); 8) (~50 g/m 2 7 in M, ~4 7 g/m 2 7 in F) 77
(62% ). The following variables independently predicted LVM in descending order of statistical
significance: BW, BMI, SBP, PP, height were the most significant (p < 0.01 ), whereas, DBP and
gender made smaller contributions and age showed no correlation. In multivariate analysis only
BW and PP showed significant correlation with L VM in the total population.
Conclusion : LVH is a common echocardiographic finding in Thai elderly (28-627t ).
Body weight and PP are major risk factors. These findings support weight reduction and PP
control for prevention or regression of this condition. Indexing for BSA (L VM/BSA ~117 g/m'
in M, ~1 04 g/m2 in F) reduces L VH variability in underweight, normal weight and overweight
subgroups as well as sexes.
Keywords : L VH, L VMI, Echocardiogram, Thai Elderly
