Key result
Mid-life Asian Indians are characterized by smaller cardiac dimensions and normal range systolic and diastolic function compared to published data on other ethnic groups, despite a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors.
Why the study?
Asian Indians are at higher risk of cardiometabolic disease at younger ages than other ethnic groups, but cardiac structure and function remain poorly characterized.
Cross-Sectional (n=2,322)
Yes
Mid-life Asian Indians exhibit smaller cardiac dimensions and normal systolic and diastolic function compared to Western populations, despite a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors.
Provides foundational echo data in understudied Asian Indian cohorts; leaves open associations with cardiometabolic outcomes.
Background Asian Indians are at higher risk of cardiometabolic disease compared to other ethnic groups, and the age of onset is typically younger. Cardiac structure and function are poorly characterized in this ethnic group. In this study, we describe image-acquisition methods and the reproducibility of measurements and detailed echocardiography characteristics in two large Indian population-based cohorts (the New Delhi and Vellore Birth Cohorts) from India. Methods The IndEcho study captured transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of cardiac structure and function from 2,322 men and women aged 43–50 years. M-mode measurements in the parasternal long axis (PLAX) and 2-dimensional (2D) short axis recordings at the mitral valve, mid-papillary and apical level were recorded. Apical 2D recordings of two- three- and four-chamber (2C, 3C and 4C) views and Doppler images (colour, pulsed and continuous) were recorded in cine-loop format. Left ventricular (LV) mass, LV hypertrophy, and indices of LV systolic and diastolic function were derived. Results Echocardiographic measurements showed good/excellent technical reproducibility. Hetero-geneity across sites, sex and rural/urban differences in cardiac structure and function were observed. Overall, this cohort of South Asian Indians had smaller LV mass and normal systolic and diastolic function when compared with published data on other Asian Indians and the West, (LV mass indexed for body surface area: Delhi men: 68 g/m2, women 63.9; Vellore men: 65.8, women 61.6) but were within ethnic-specific reference ranges. The higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes and hypertension is reflected by the higher proportion of LV remodelling and lesser hypertrophy. Conclusions Our study adds to scarce population-based echocardiographic data for mid-life Asian Indians. Compared to published literature on other ethnic groups, the Asian Indian heart is characterised by smaller cardiac dimensions and normal range systolic and diastolic function on a background of a high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and cardiac disease at a relatively young age. This data will form the basis for further analyses of lifecourse, metabolic and body composition predictors of cardiac structure and function, and echocardiographic predictors of future mortality. ISRCTN registration number 13432279
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Vasan et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in General population (Asian Indians) (n=2,322). Asian Indian ethnicity vs. Published data on other ethnic groups was evaluated on Echocardiographic measurements of cardiac structure and function (LV mass, systolic and diastolic function). Mid-life Asian Indians are characterized by smaller cardiac dimensions and normal range systolic and diastolic function compared to published data on other ethnic groups, despite a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors.
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