Background and Purpose: Currently, normal values of the cardiac chambers` volumes are corrected only for gender and body surface area (BSA). Our aim is to investigate the association between the heart rate and the volume of each of the four cardiac chambers using cardiac-gated CT angiography (CCTA).
Methods: This is a prospective cross sectional study including 350 consecutive patients without known cardiac diseases or without significant (>50%) stenosis who underwent CCTA for suspected CAD between 01/2009-06/2014. Cardiac volumes, adjusted to BSA, were determined using automated model-based segmentation analysis software of CCTA data, and correlated to patients’ mean heart rate during the scan. All volumes were Lan transformed, and linear regression was used for univariate and multivariate analysis controlling for age and co-morbidities when Pulse (5 beats/min), Age, Male, HTN, DM, Overweight, COPD / Asthma, Anemia , Beta Blocker
Results: There were 240 men and 110 women median age was 55 (47-61). Women were older 59.0 (53.7-64) vs. 52.0 (45.0-59.0), had higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, anemia, hypothyroidism, and higher median heart rates 64.0 (59.7-66.0) vs. 60.0 (55.0-65.0) (p<0.001). Men had negative correlation between the volume of each cardiac chamber and the heart rate (rage adj=0.27-0.4, p
The multivariate analysis showed that a decrease of 5 beats per minute was associated with an increase of approximately 4.6 % in volume of each chamber. There was no such association among females.
Conclusions: Decreased heart rate is associated with increase of each cardiac chamber volume in men. This association is not found in women. Thus, correction of normal cardiac chambers` volumes to heart rate should be considered. Larger studies are required to further elaborate these gender differences.
