Some factors affecting right and left atrial weights and volumes and total heart weight.

Abstract

SUMMARYThe hearts from 156 patients who came to routine hospital autopsy were examined. The amount of epicardial fat was assessed by macroscopic examination, the amount of atrial fat was assessed by microscopic examination and the thickness of the body fat was measured at the midline ventral incision. The patient's age, sex, and height were recorded, and the degree of rigor mortis of the heart assessed. The hearts were weighed, the volume of each atrium was measured, and the atria were individually dissected and weighed.Correlations were sought between atrial weights and volumes and the patient's age, sex, height, amount of body and heart fat, and the degree of rigor mortis of the heart.The total heart weight, both atrial weights and both atrial volumes were greater for males than for females. For each sex the right atrial volume was significantly greater than the left atrial volume, but right and left atrial weights did not differ significantly. Significant positive correlations existed between right and left atrial weights. For both sexes, also, each atrial weight was correlated with its corresponding atrial volume.For males, atrial magnitudes were positively correlated with body height and with the thickness of body fat. For females, left atrial volumes only were positively correlated with the thickness of body fat, and there were no positive correlations with height. For females, but not for males, both atrial weights were positively correlated with age. The total heart weight for males was greatest in taller, fatter subjects, but for females it was greatest in shorter, fatter subjects. For both sexes, atrial magnitudes correlated positively with total heart weight, independently of the amount of heart fat. The amount of epicardial fat (assessed by macroscopic examination) was positively correlated with the thickness of subcutaneous fat, while the amount of atrial fat (assessed by microscopic examination) was not.