Norms and clinical correlates of echocardiographic left ventricular mass in 3-12 year old children.

To determine norms for left ventricular mass (LVM) and correlate it with various demographic and clinical parameters 213 school children were examined using two dimensional echocardiography. The data of 183 children (108 boys, 75 girls) where no cardiovascular abnormality was found has been analysed. The mean age +/- SEM was 6.79 +/- 0.15 years. The mean LVM was 40.47 +/- 1.12 gm (40.05 +/- 1.45 gm in males; 41.06 +/- 1.79 gm in females; p greater than 0.6). Mean LVM index (grams/metre height) was 34.30 +/- 0.80 (male = 33.46 +/- 1.06; female = 35.45 +/- 1.22; p = 0.9). On univariate analysis, a significant positive correlation of LVM with age, (r = 0.57), height (r = 0.57), weight (r = 0.58) and chest size (r = 0.23) was observed. No correlation was seen with resting pulse rate, or with systolic and diastolic blood pressure.