A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT Examinations

<b>Background:</b> This single-center retrospective observational study reviewed data from 2305 persons examined for coronary artery calcium (CAC) with non-contrast-enhanced cardiac CT. Other cardiac structures, including chamber volumes, were evaluated besides the CAC scoring. We propos...

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Main Authors: Maciej Sosnowski, Zofia Parma, Marcin Syzdół, Grzegorz Brożek, Jan Harpula, Michał Tendera, Wojciech Wojakowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Diagnostics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/12/1502
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author Maciej Sosnowski
Zofia Parma
Marcin Syzdół
Grzegorz Brożek
Jan Harpula
Michał Tendera
Wojciech Wojakowski
author_facet Maciej Sosnowski
Zofia Parma
Marcin Syzdół
Grzegorz Brożek
Jan Harpula
Michał Tendera
Wojciech Wojakowski
author_sort Maciej Sosnowski
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background:</b> This single-center retrospective observational study reviewed data from 2305 persons examined for coronary artery calcium (CAC) with non-contrast-enhanced cardiac CT. Other cardiac structures, including chamber volumes, were evaluated besides the CAC scoring. We proposed a novel body size indexing measure that may outperform common indices for quantifying total heart volume (THV). <b>Methods:</b> This index is the sum of height and the difference between height (unitless) and body surface area (unitless), [h+(h-BSA)], and if the (h-BSA) equals “zero”, it is a feature of the “standard human”. <b>Results:</b> We found that, in subjects with a low cardiovascular (CV) risk, the THV normalized for the novel index was simply a function of BW gain, being the highest in obese. If high-CV-risk features (hypertension, diabetes) were present, the measured THV was larger than expected for BW gain, exceeding values observed in low-CV-risk ones. Differences were found to be sex-independent in all BMI categories. <b>Conclusions:</b> Common BSA correction hides these differences and makes the prognostication of CV risk error-introducing. The indexation we proposed might help distinguish the effects of body weight gain from the ones resulting from the presence of certain cardiovascular diseases.
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spelling doaj-art-72bf75f4428c47e08d0bfe108865611a2025-08-20T02:24:25ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-06-011512150210.3390/diagnostics15121502A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT ExaminationsMaciej Sosnowski0Zofia Parma1Marcin Syzdół2Grzegorz Brożek3Jan Harpula4Michał Tendera5Wojciech Wojakowski6Unit of Noninvasive Cardiovascular Diagnostics, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15 Street, 40-055 Katowice, PolandUnit of Noninvasive Cardiovascular Diagnostics, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15 Street, 40-055 Katowice, PolandUnit of Noninvasive Cardiovascular Diagnostics, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15 Street, 40-055 Katowice, PolandDepartment of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15 Street, 40-055 Katowice, PolandDepartment of Cardiology and Structural Heart Diseases, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Ziolowa 45 Street, 40-635 Katowice, PolandDepartment of Cardiology and Structural Heart Diseases, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Ziolowa 45 Street, 40-635 Katowice, PolandDepartment of Cardiology and Structural Heart Diseases, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Ziolowa 45 Street, 40-635 Katowice, Poland<b>Background:</b> This single-center retrospective observational study reviewed data from 2305 persons examined for coronary artery calcium (CAC) with non-contrast-enhanced cardiac CT. Other cardiac structures, including chamber volumes, were evaluated besides the CAC scoring. We proposed a novel body size indexing measure that may outperform common indices for quantifying total heart volume (THV). <b>Methods:</b> This index is the sum of height and the difference between height (unitless) and body surface area (unitless), [h+(h-BSA)], and if the (h-BSA) equals “zero”, it is a feature of the “standard human”. <b>Results:</b> We found that, in subjects with a low cardiovascular (CV) risk, the THV normalized for the novel index was simply a function of BW gain, being the highest in obese. If high-CV-risk features (hypertension, diabetes) were present, the measured THV was larger than expected for BW gain, exceeding values observed in low-CV-risk ones. Differences were found to be sex-independent in all BMI categories. <b>Conclusions:</b> Common BSA correction hides these differences and makes the prognostication of CV risk error-introducing. The indexation we proposed might help distinguish the effects of body weight gain from the ones resulting from the presence of certain cardiovascular diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/12/1502coronary artery calciumstandard humantotal heart volume
spellingShingle Maciej Sosnowski
Zofia Parma
Marcin Syzdół
Grzegorz Brożek
Jan Harpula
Michał Tendera
Wojciech Wojakowski
A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT Examinations
Diagnostics
coronary artery calcium
standard human
total heart volume
title A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT Examinations
title_full A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT Examinations
title_fullStr A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT Examinations
title_full_unstemmed A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT Examinations
title_short A Novel Concept of the “Standard Human” in the Assessment of Individual Total Heart Size: Lessons from Non-Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac CT Examinations
title_sort novel concept of the standard human in the assessment of individual total heart size lessons from non contrast enhanced cardiac ct examinations
topic coronary artery calcium
standard human
total heart volume
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/12/1502
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