Aortic & peripheral vascular disease
Ascending Aortic Dimensions and Body Size: Allometric Scaling, Normative Values, and Prognostic Performance
Authors' conclusion
Among AscAo indices, area/height was allometrically correct, did not exhibit residual associations with body size, and was consistently associated with adverse events.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank and Penn Medicine BioBank participants with MRI or CT thoracic images; ascending aorta segmented by convolutional neural network
- Participants
- 49,271 vs 8,426
- Exposure
- Ascending aortic dimension indices
- UK Biobank (UKB)n = 49,271
- PMBBn = 8,426
Methodological detailsmulticentre biobank cohorts (UKB, PMBB)
- Multicentre biobank cohorts (UKB, PMBB)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Allometric relations of ascending aortic (AscAo) dimension indices (healthy reference subgroups)
| Group | Allometric exponent, area/height | Residual association of area/height with height |
|---|---|---|
| UKB | 1.04 | R2 = 0.04 [P = 0.411] |
| PMBB | 1.13 | R2 = 0.08 [P = 0.759] |
Allometric exponent, area/height
UKB1.04
PMBB1.13
Residual association of area/height with height
UKBR2 = 0.04 [P = 0.411]
PMBBR2 = 0.08 [P = 0.759]
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | HR | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Thoracic aorta events associated with area/height — UKB · area/height · Cox models | 3.73 | P < 0.001 |
| Thoracic aorta events associated with area/height — PMBB · area/height · Cox models | 1.83 | P < 0.001 |
Original publication
Ascending Aortic Dimensions and Body Size: Allometric Scaling, Normative Values, and Prognostic Performance. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 22 August 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it