Materials and Methods:
The study population:
Since its establishment, in 2001 the Anthony Bates Foundation has played
a leading role in efforts to prevent cardiac death through
echocardiographic screening. For this cohort study, we examined data
collected as part of this initiative. A total of 4,120 individuals
ranging in age from 6 to 79 years participated in screening across
regions of the United States. The study was a retrospective study of
that was approved by the institutional review board with exempt status.
Data collection:
Prior to receiving an echocardiogram, everyone was required to
complete a questionnaire about their health symptoms. The questionnaire
included the symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness,
fatigue, and palpitations. Participants had to answer questions about
all symptoms, whether mild or common. Informed consent was obtained to
participate in the screening. Individuals less than 18 years of age
needed parental informed consent. Echocardiography was performed by many
donated handheld echocardiography devices and the final diagnosis was
confirmed by volunteer cardiologists.
Echocardiographic assessment:
Our main objective was to investigate the link between self-reported
symptoms and the presence of suspected Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
(HCM). To identify cases with suspected HCM we employed the accepted
criterion of a ventricular wall thickness ≥ 15 mm, which is an important
diagnostic indicator for this heart condition.
Statistical analysis:
We conducted an analysis to examine the correlation, between
self-reported symptoms and the presence of suspected HCM. We evaluated
the strength and significance of this relationship using techniques such
as regression and chi-square tests. Age, gender, and other related
demographic factors were also considered as variables that could impact
the outcomes of our analysis.. We used SPSS version 17 for our data. A
p-value of < 0.05 is deemed significant.
Result :
The demographic data of patients including age, sex, and race have been
evaluated. The age range of the participants was between 4 and 74 years,
and most of the individuals were 18, 16, and 17 years old, respectively
(Figure .1). Male gender were the majority of the participant. (Figure
.2).
The overall prevalence of possible HCM was found to be 1.1% throughout
the entire population. There was no correlation between HCM and the
occurrence of any physical symptoms. Chest pain in 4.3% of participants
with HCM vs. 9.9% of the control, p=0.19, palpitation in 4.3% of
participants with HCM vs. 7.3% of the control., p=0.41, shortness of
breath in 6.4% of participant with HCM vs. 11.7% of the control.,
p=0.26, lightheadedness in 4.3% of participant with HCM vs. 13.1% of
the control., p=0.07, ankle swelling in 2.1% of participant with HCM
vs. 4.0% of the control., p=0.52, dizziness in 8.5% of participant
with HCM vs. 12.2% of the control, p=0.44 (Figure .3). Our findings
suggest that based on this study’s population symptoms reported during
echocardiography screening may not serve as indicators, for detecting
the presence of HCM.