Purpose. To identify, using multivariate analysis (MVA), the major factors affecting right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) measured during echocardiography (ECHO) in patients (P) without aortic or mitral valve disease.
Methods. Our cardiology database was searched for all P who had RVSP measured during ECHO. Only P with all measurable fields entered were included. This means P with aortic and mitral valve disease were excluded since the fields in those P without such disease were empty. The measurements included, age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), EF (ejection fraction, biplane), E/A ratio, E/E', LV mass index (LVMI) and m-mode measurements of left atrium (LA), aortic root (AO), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVDD) and left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVSD). MVA was performed using multiple linear regression and stepwise linear regression (SLR) including cross variables. All statistics were performed with JMP software.
Results. Of the 10,259 P who had RVSP measured 4,869 had all the required fields with complete data entry. Statistically significant independent variables using MVA in both males and females included, Age, E/A ratio, E/E', LA size, and EF, Table 1. Using SLR the impact of age was expressed through its interaction between E/A ratio, E/E' and LA size.
Conclusions. In both males and females, age has the most significant influence on RVSP using MVA in P without aortic or mitral valve disease. However, using SLR the effect of age was attributed to its interaction with parameters of diastolic function and LA size.