Impact of age and gender on cardiac structure and function in normal Chinese population / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the impact of age and gender on cardiac structure and left ventricular function in normal Chinese by echocardiography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cardiac structure, valve flow velocity and cardiac function were measured by echocardiography in 15,692 healthy volunteers. Subjects were grouped by age at 5 years interval in population older than 5 years. Children under 5 years were divided into 3 age groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years). Hierarchical cluster analyses were performed for ages, based on indexes of cardiac structure and function respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Six groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years, 6 - 10 years, 11 - 20 years, > or = 21 years) were generated after the age hierarchical cluster analyses based on index of cardiac structure. Four groups (< or = 30 years, 31 - 50 years, 51 - 80 years, > or = 81 years) were generated based on spectral current flow. Six groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years, 6 - 10 years, 11 - 15 years, > or = 16 years) were generated based on left ventricular systolic function and five groups (< or = 15 years, 16 - 30 years, 31 - 50 years, 51 - 80 years, > or = 81 years) were generated based on left ventricular diastolic function. Cardiac structure index were similar between male and female in age groups < or = 10 years and significantly lower in females than males in age groups > or = 11 years (P < 0.05). Valve flow velocity was similar between male and female in various age groups (P > 0.05). Left ventricular systolic function was similar between male and female in age groups < or = 10 years but was significantly higher in males than females in age groups > or = 11 years (all P < 0.05). Left ventricular diastolic function was similar between female and male in various age groups (P > 0.05) and equally decreased with aging in both female and male subjects.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The cardiac development in Chinese population can be divided in 6 phases and becomes stable in subjects older than 21 years, left ventricular systolic function becomes stable in subjects older than 16 years and the left ventricular diastolic function declines physiologically with aging.</p>

Comparable effects of percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation and subaortic ventriculotomy in treating patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, an echocardiography follow-up study / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effect of percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (n = 20) with subaortic ventriculotomy (n = 17) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy by echocardiography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The pre- and post-operation (1 week post procedure) gradients of left ventricular out flow (LVOTGs) were measured by echocardiography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Post operation LVOTGs were significantly reduced than that of pre-operation in patients treated with either percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation [(36 +/- 20) vs. (99 +/- 19) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), P < 0.05], or subaortic ventriculotomy [(28 +/- 17) vs. (117 +/- 32) mm Hg]. Post operation LVOTGs were also similar with the two procedures [(36 +/- 20) vs. (28 +/- 17) mm Hg, P > 0.05].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation is as effective as subaortic ventriculotomy in treating patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.</p>