Abstract

An asymptomatic adult population of 196 men and women was studied with the echocardiogram to derive age- and sex-specific "normal" values for a number of clinically used echocardiograhic variables. The results are in general agreement with previously published normal values. Body position during the examination, age and sex influence the echocardiographic results; body surface area correction normalized most of these effects. The prevalence of occult abnormalities determined by the echocardiogram is 7%; the most common finding was mitral valve prolapse. Inter- and intraobserver variability was assessed. The interobserver differences found on analysis are statistically, but not clinically , significant. The echocardiogram appears to be a suitable tool to use in epidemiologic studies to detect selected cardiac abnormalities, but is limited for this purpose because some subjects in such a population cannot be adequately examined.

Keywords

MedicineAsymptomaticTransthoracic echocardiogramOccultPopulationMitral valve prolapseCardiologyTransesophageal echocardiogramBody surface areaInternal medicineRadiologyMitral valvePathologyEnvironmental health

Affiliated Institutions

Related Publications

A Tool for Reviewers

Georges Bordage , Addeane S. Caelleigh

Peer review lies at the core of science and academic life. In one of its most pervasive forms, peer review for the scientific literature is the main mechanism that research jour...

2001 Academic Medicine 27 citations

Publication Info

Year
1979
Type
article
Volume
60
Issue
4
Pages
921-929
Citations
71
Access
Closed

External Links

View on DOI.org

Social Impact

Altmetric
PlumX Metrics

Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions

Citation Metrics

71
OpenAlex

Cite This

Riccardo Valdez, Jorge Motta, Elizabeth London et al. (1979). Evaluation of the echocardiogram as an epidemiologic tool in an asymptomatic population.. Circulation , 60 (4) , 921-929. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.60.4.921

Identifiers

DOI
10.1161/01.cir.60.4.921