February 26, 2018 – The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and its International Alliance Partners are joining efforts in the World Alliance of Societies of Echocardiography (WASE) Normal Values Study. This study is bringing together the scientific cardiovascular ultrasound community from around the world to better understand if the current recommended normal values for heart dimensions and function in subjects from different races and countries are similar or different. In addition, normal values for novel echocardiography modalities such as 3-D and strain will be established.
Principal investigators Roberto M. Lang, M.D., FASE, University of Chicago Medical Center, and Federico M. Asch, M.D., FASE, MedStar Health Research Institute in Washington, D.C.,announced that the WASE study has enrolled the landmark number of 1,000 subjects. Asch said, “This represents over 50 percent of our target. We are hoping to complete enrollment by the end of this year. Individuals from six continents have been enrolled and initial preliminary findings will be presented at the ASE 2018 Scientific Sessions in Nashville this June.” Final results are expected to be available in 2019.
The WASE Normal Values Study entails the acquisition of complete 2-D and 3-D echocardiograms in 100 healthy individuals of both genders and across a wide range of ages in each of 17 countries. All echoes will be analyzed in collaboration with MedStar Health and the University of Chicago. The clinical usefulness of echocardiography is based on the detection of abnormalities, which relies on the accurate definition of “normality” across different countries or races. Currently, available echocardiographic “reference values” that define “normality” are mostly based on cross-sectional observations of Caucasians from the U.S. and Europe.
Robin Wiegerink, CEO of ASE said, “This study provides unique opportunities to interact with our global partners to facilitate scientific collaborations and strengthen relationships, with the goal of improved patient care. The ASE International Alliance Partners program was developed to foster this kind of interaction and create synergies that could be replicated in future standardization projects.”
The WASE Normal Values Study is being funded by the American Society of Echocardiography Foundation and its donors, and with in-kind support from sponsors Tomtec Imaging Systems, Medidata, MedStar Health and University of Chicago.
For more information: www.asecho.org
March 11, 2026 
