Reference Values in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Between Local Validation and Global Harmonization

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has become established in recent decades as the gold standard method for cardiac morphofunctional assessment, allowing for the precise quantification of ventricular volumes, ejection fraction, and myocardial mass, as well as the tissue characterization of multiple heart diseases.^– The high reproducibility of its measurements is one of its main advantages over other imaging modalities, making CMR an essential tool in both clinical practice and cardiovascular research.^,

However, the proper interpretation of parameters obtained by CMR depends on the existence of robust reference values applicable to the studied population. In this context, the article “Normal Reference Values for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance: An Analytical–Comparative Review with Emphasis on the Brazilian Population”, published in this issue of the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, addresses a question that is particularly relevant to Brazilian cardiology: the applicability of international normative values to the national reality.

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