Left ventricular mass and ventricular remodeling among Hispanic subgroups compared with non-Hispanic blacks and whites: MESA (Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and left ventricular (LV) remodeling patterns within Hispanic subgroups compared with non-Hispanic whites in the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Background: Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic minority in the U.S., but there are no data on LVH and LV geometry among Hispanic subgroups.

Methods: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 4,309 men and women age 45 to 84 years without clinical cardiovascular disease. Hispanics were categorized into subgroups based on self-reported ancestry. LVH was defined as the upper 95th percentile of indexed LV mass in a reference normotensive, nondiabetic, nonobese population, and LV remodeling according to the presence/absence of LVH and abnormal/normal LV mass to LV end-diastolic volume ratio.

Results: Among Hispanic participants, 574 were of Mexican origin, 329 were of Caribbean origin, and 161 were of Central/South American origin. On unadjusted analysis, only Caribbean-origin Hispanics (prevalence ratio = 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03 to 1.4) had greater prevalence of hypertension than non-Hispanic whites. Hispanic subgroups were more likely to have LVH than non-Hispanic whites after adjustment for hypertension and other covariates (Caribbean-origin Hispanics = odds ratio [OR]: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1 to 3.0; Mexican-origin Hispanics = OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4 to 3.3; Central/South Americans = OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 0.7 to 3.1). All Hispanic subgroups also had a higher prevalence of concentric and eccentric hypertrophy compared with non-Hispanic whites (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Caribbean-origin Hispanics had a higher prevalence of LVH and abnormal LV remodeling compared with non-Hispanic whites. A higher prevalence of LVH and abnormal LV remodeling was also observed among Mexican-origin Hispanics, despite a lower prevalence of hypertension. Differences among Hispanic subgroups regarding LVH and LV remodeling should be taken into account when evaluating cardiovascular risk in this population.