The influence of body size on measurements of overall cardiac function

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the best scaling method to account for the effects of body size on measurements of overall cardiac function and subsequently the interpretation of data based on cardiac power output (CPO). CPO was measured at rest (CPOrest) and at maximal exercise (CPOmax) on 88 and 103 healthy but untrained men and women, respectively, over the age range of 20–70 yr. Cardiac reserve (CR) was calculated as CPOmax− CPOrest. CPOrest, CPOmax, and CR were all significantly related to body mass (BM), body surface area (BSA), and lean body mass (LBM). The linear regression model failed to completely normalize these measurements. In contrast, the allometric model produced size-independent values of CPO. Furthermore, all the assumptions associated with the allometric model were achieved. For CPOrest, mean body size exponents were BM0.33, BSA0.60, and LBM0.47. For CPOmax, the exponents were BM0.41, BSA0.81, and LBM0.71. For CR, mean body size exponents were BM0.44, BSA0.87, and LBM0.79. LBM was identified (from the root-mean-squares errors of the separate regression models) as the best physiological variable (based on its high metabolic activity) to be scaled in the allometric model. Scaling of CPO to LBMb(where b is the scaling exponent) dramatically reduced the between-gender differences with only a 7% difference in CPOrestand CPOmaxvalues. In addition, the gender difference in CR was completely removed. To avoid erroneous interpretations and conclusions being made when comparing data between men and women of different ages, the allometric scaling of CPO to LBMbwould seem crucial.