(634) Echocardiography Parameters and Cardiac Geometry in Pregnancy by Race and Ethnicity

The study’s objective was to assess normal transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) parameters and cardiac geometry among pregnant individuals by race and ethnicity.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all pregnant individuals without cardiovascular disease who underwent a perinatal TTE considered normal at a single academic center between October 1, 2017 and May 1, 2022. Demographics and echocardiographic parameters were compared by self-reported race/ethnicity by Chi square, Fisher’s exact, and analysis of variance test.

Results: During the study period, 369 women had normal TTE in the perinatal period with a mean age of 31.8 ± 6.0 years old with a pre-gravid body mass index of 29.0 ± 7.0 kg/m². Subjects identified as 55.3% White, 24.7% as Hispanic, 14.1% as Black/African American, and 6.0% as Asian. Patients identifying as Black had higher rates of chronic hypertension (21.2%) compared to other races/ethnicities (p=0.02). TTE parameters of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV diastolic volume index, LV mass/mass index, LA volume index, tricuspid regurgitation peak gradient, septal and lateral e’ differed by race/ethnicity (Table 1). There was a statistically significant difference in cardiac geometry by race and ethnicity (p=0.04).

Conclusion:

While there were differences in TTE parameters by race and ethnicity, these differences may not be clinically significant as most mean values fall within the normal clinical ranges. There was an increase in concentric remodeling seen in Black/African American patients likely due to the increased rate of chronic hypertension seen in this population. Further larger, prospective studies are needed to better evaluate cardiac and perinatal outcomes associated with differences in cardiac geometry in pregnancy.