Echocardiography
Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography was performed in the left lateral decubitus position by a trained echocardiographer (GE Vivid E9 Imaging System, GE Medical; Horton, Norway) using a M4S Matrix Sector Array Probe (2-5MHz). Standard views (parasternal long-axis and apical two, four and five chamber) were collected and analyzed according to the recommendations of the American Society for Echocardiography (20, 21) using a dedicated software program (GE EchoPAC v201, GE, Horton, Norway) LV mass was subsequently calculated using the Devereux formula: LV Mass = 0.8[1.04[([LVEDD + IVSd + PWd]3 – LVEDD3)]} + 0.6 (22).