Echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular structure and diastolic function and their relation to coronary artery calcification.

Alteration in left ventricular (LV) structure and diastolic function is associated with poor cardiovascular (CV) prognosis. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is a reliable marker for coronary artery calcification, predicting adverse CV events. However, evidence is still insufficient to establish the association between alteration in LV structure and diastolic function and CACS. 9053 Korean adults (male: 84.2%, mean age: 42.5 years) were grouped by quartile levels of echocardiographic parameters for LV structure and diastolic function. CACS was detected by multidirectional computed tomography and categorized into CACS > 0 or CACS = 0. Multivariate regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for CACS > 0 (adjusted OR [95% CI]) in each quartile group of echocardiographic parameters (reference: quartile 1 group). CACS > 0 was significantly associated with structural parameters above third quartile in LVMI (1.19 [1.00-1.41]), RWT (1.23 [1.03-1.46]) and IVST (1.42 [1.20-1.70]) and fourth quartile in PWT (1.36 [1.14-1.63]). In parameters of diastolic function, septal e' velocity ≥ 10.7 cm/s (fourth quartile) was less associated with CACS > 0 than septal e' velocity ≤ 7.7 cm/s (first quartile). Additionally, the fourth quartile of E/e' was more significantly associated with CACS > 0 than that of first quartile. Echocardiographic parameters close to LV hypertrophy and LV diastolic dysfunction are associated with CACS > 0.