WASE Argentina: international study to establish normality values in echocardiography

Abstract

The American Society of Echocardiography and the Imaging Committee of the European Society of Cardiology established normal values ​​and evaluation guidelines in echocardiography, however, normal values ​​were established based on limited groups of patients, without a global representation. The World Alliance Societies of Echocardiography (WASE) developed a study called the Normal Values ​​Study (WASEs) aimed at establishing normal values ​​through an global population study. Argentina was represented in this project including a total of 101 normal patients. Not indexes ventricular volumes, end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters were higher in men than in women. A significant variation of all ventricular values ​​was evidenced between different countries in WASEs, especially at the left end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes. The lower limit of the ejection fraction values ​​is above the normal values ​​represented in the guidelines. Although the values ​​obtained in the Argentine group are similar to those of the global, except the lower normal value of ventricular mass which was significantly lower compared with the rest of the world.