Simplifying the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy: is left ventricular mass to volume ratio constant in children throughout growth?

Background Although it is known that left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, there is no consensus on how LV mass (LVM) should be indexed, particularly in children. The well published difficulties with correctly indexing LVM hamper the confidence in determining the range of normal LVM in growing children. Left ventricular mass to volume ratio (LVMVR) has potential to avoid some of the inherent problems with indexing. Recent literature in adults has also shown a strong association between increasing LVMVR and increased risk of cardiovascular events. We hypothesized that LVMVR remained relatively stable in healthy children and young adults, and could serve as a simple surrogate to identify LVH.