J Korean Med Sci.  2000 Dec;15(6):641-646. 10.3346/jkms.2000.15.6.641.

Relationship between normal heart size and body indices in Korean

• Seo JS
• Lee SY
• Won KJ
• Kim DJ
• Sohn DS
• Yang KM
• Cho SH
• Park JD
• Lee KH
• Kim HD

• KMID: 2157544
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2000.15.6.641

Abstract

We provided a curve-fit equation to predict the normal heart weight (g) in Koreans by examining 422 autopsies (215 males and 207 females, from newborn to age 77 yr) who were relatively in good general condition. Heart weight was well correlated with body surface area (m2), body weight (kg), and body height (cm) but poorly with age in both sex. Heart weight progressively increased from birth to the earlier 3rd and 4th decades in male and female, respectively, and then gradually decreased; mean heart weight of all age group was greater in male than in female and significantly different from birth to 4th decade. In both sex, heart weight exponentially increased in accordance with the increase of body height, body weight, and body surface (in male, heart weight=0.00312 x body height(2.239), r2=0.750, p<0.0001; in female, heart weight=0.00443 x body height(2170), r2=0.781, p<0.0001; in male, heart weight=9.22 x body weight(0.853), r2=0.770, p<0.0001; in female, heart weight=9.00 x body weight0.855, r2=0.820, p<0.0001; in male, heart weight=155.18 x body surface area1.290, r=0.808, p<0.0001; in female, heart weight=124.13 x body surface area1.242, r=0.834, p<0.0001). These results indicate that heart weight is better correlated with body surface area than with body weight; however, body weight should be a better determinant of a predicted heart weight, since body surface area is entirely dependent on body height and body weight.

Keyword

Body Indices; Korean; Heart Weight; Relationship

MeSH Terms

Adolescence
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Body Height
Body Weight
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Heart/anatomy & histology*
Human
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Korea
Male
Middle Age
Organ Weight