Higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in two Māori cohorts: findings from the Hauora Manawa/Community Heart Study

Abstract

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in New Zealand with a disproportionate burden of disease in the Māori population. The Hauora Manawa Project investigated the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and CVD in randomly selected Māori and non-Māori participants. This paper reports the prevalence of structural changes in the heart.

Methods: A total of 252 rural Māori, 243 urban Māori; and 256 urban non-Māori underwent echocardiography to assess cardiac structure and function. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine variables associated with heart size.

Results: Left ventricular (LV) mass measurements were largest in the rural Māori cohort (183.5,sd 61.4), intermediate in the urban Māori cohort (169.7,sd 57.1) and smallest in the non-Māori cohort (152.6,sd 46.7; p<0.001). Similar patterns were observed for other measurements and indexation had no impact. One-third (32.3%) met the gender-based ASE criteria for LV hypertrophy (LVH) with higher prevalence in both Maori cohorts (highest in the rural cohort). There were three significant predictors of LVH: rural Māori (p=0.0001); age (p<0.0001); and gender (p=0.0048).

Conclusion: Structural and functional heart abnormalities are more prevalent in Māori compared to non-Māori, and especially rural Māori. Early identification should lead to better management, ultimately improving life expectancy and quality of life.

Keywords: Māori; cardiovascular disease; echocardiography; indigenous; rural.