Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function when mitral E and A waves are completely fused: role of assessing mitral annulus velocity.

Mitral inflow parameters have been used most widely in the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. However, when the mitral E and A waves are completely fused, mitral inflow parameters cannot provide information about the LV diastolic function. LV filling pressure, mitral inflow, mitral annulus velocity, and tau (tau) were measured in 59 patients with sinus rhythm when mitral E and A waves were completely fused with right atrial pacing. When mitral E and A waves were completely fused, tau correlated with the peak fused mitral annulus velocity (r = -0.60, P <.001), and peak fused mitral annulus velocity of less than 12.5 cm/s best discriminated prolonged (>/=50 ms) from normal tau, with a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 69%. The peak fused mitral inflow velocity to peak fused mitral annulus velocity ratio correlated with LV filling pressure (r = 0.62, P <.001). A ratio of at least 8, could predict elevated LV filling pressure (>/=15 mm Hg) with a sensitivity of 65% and specificity of 74%. In conclusion, even when mitral E and A waves are completely fused, mitral annulus velocity can be used in the evaluation of LV diastolic function.     

Differentiation between reversible and irreversible restrictive left ventricular filling patterns with the use of mitral annulus velocity.

A restrictive left ventricular filling pattern is generally recognized as an ominous prognostic sign in patients with congestive heart failure. Recently, this filling pattern has been further categorized into reversible and irreversible groups according to the changes in the mitral inflow pattern after preload reduction; furthermore, the prognosis is reported to be different for the two groups. Forty-two patients with a restrictive left ventricular filling pattern who could adequately perform Valsalva's maneuver were studied. Baseline peak early (E) and late (A) mitral inflow velocities, E/A ratio, deceleration time of E velocity, peak early (E') and late (A') diastolic mitral annulus velocities, and E'/A' ratio were obtained. During Valsalva's maneuver, the E/A ratio reversed (<1) in fifteen patients (15/42, 36%). These patients were categorized as belonging to the reversible group. Among the baseline mitral inflow and mitral annulus velocity parameters, A' > 0.05 m/s best discriminated between the reversible and irreversible restrictive left ventricular filling patterns, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 85%.     

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy: simultaneous Doppler echocardiography and hemodynamic evaluation

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is an integral component of end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy. To better characterize this disorder we studied 15 patients undergoing catheterization during cardiac transplant screening evaluation. Pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiographic recordings of mitral inflow were obtained with simultaneous high-fidelity left ventricular and phase-corrected pulmonary capillary wedge pressures. Doppler-derived isovolumic relaxation times were within normal limits, despite a prolonged coefficient of relaxation (tau), and correlated with pulmonary capillary wedge--left ventricular crossover pressure. Peak velocity of early diastolic filling was similar to that reported in normal subjects and did not correlate with crossover pressure or tau. Early diastolic acceleration and deceleration times were shortened compared with reported normal values. Acceleration time correlated with mean negative dP/dt from mitral valve opening to left ventricular minimum pressure and with crossover pressure, and deceleration time correlated with mean dP/dt from left ventricular minimum pressure to the peak of the rapid filling wave. Late diastolic filling at atrial contraction was absent in 12 patients, all of whom had a significant early diastolic rapid filling wave and an elevated end-diastolic pressure. Despite an increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure during atrial contraction, the failing ventricles were unable to generate detectable forward transmitral flow. Poor cardiac pump function was shown by low left ventricular stroke volume, which correlated with the diastolic flow velocity integral. Thus, in end-stage cardiomyopathy, the transmitral flow velocity pattern is characterized by normal peak early filling velocity, low normal isovolumic relaxation time, shortened acceleration and deceleration times of early diastolic flow, decreased early flow velocity integral, and absent or decreased filling during atrial contraction. This pattern reflects interaction between elevated transmitral driving pressure and the compromised relaxation and compliance of a left ventricle functioning on an elevated pressure-volume curve.     

Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function from mitral annulus motion,a comparison with pulsed Doppler measurements in patients with heart failure

Summary. Mitral and pulmonary venous flow velocity recordings are often used for the assessment of left ventricular diastolic function. These curves are, however, also influenced by other factors. To investigate whether mitral annulus motion carries additional information in this context, mitral annulus motion was compared to Doppler registrations of mitral and pulmonary flow velocities in 38 patients with heart failure (NYHA II—III) after myocardial infarction. Patients with an increased atrial contribution to mitral annulus motion (> 57%, n= 12) had a higher mitral late-to-early flow velocity ratio (A/E) and pulmonary systolic to diastolic filling ratio (<0–01). Patients with atrial displacement above average for the group (? 5.1 mm, n= 19) had a higher mitral AVE ratio and pulmonary systolic to diastolic filling ratio than patients with a lower than average atrial component (P < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between a/T ratio and A/E ratio (r= 0.61, P < 0.001) and between pulmonary flow and transmitral flow (= 0.76, P < 0.001). We conclude that an increased atrial displacement of the mitral annulus is a frequent finding in patients with signs of left ventricular relaxation abnormality. There is a significant correlation between a/T ratio and A/E ratio but the information contained in the two indices are not identical.     

Mitral regurgitation and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction similarly affect mitral and pulmonary vein flow Doppler parameters: the advantage of end-diastolic markers.

Enhanced early mitral flow and reduced systolic pulmonary vein flow may be caused both by increased left ventricular pressure as the result of diastolic dysfunction and by increased transmitral flow as the result of mitral regurgitation. Nevertheless, Doppler parameters are widely used to predict left ventricular filling pressure. We aimed to analyze the interference of mitral regurgitation with Doppler parameters usually used to estimate left ventricular filling pressure and to identify markers independent of mitral regurgitation, which could reliably estimate increased left ventricular filling pressure. Eighty-four patients (age, 62 +/- 9 years; 82% men) had a complete echocardiographic Doppler examination. Transmitral E- and A-wave velocity, E deceleration time and A duration, pulmonary vein systolic and diastolic velocities, and reversal flow duration and maximal and minimal left atrial volumes were measured. The difference between the duration of pulmonary vein and mitral A waves was calculated (A'-A). Mitral regurgitant volume was quantitatively assessed by echocardiography. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was measured invasively. Patients had a wide range of left ventricular ejection fraction (14% to 70%), mitral regurgitant volume (0 to 94 mL), and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (3 to 37 mm Hg). E velocity, E/A, pulmonary vein systolic and diastolic, and systo-diastolic ratios were significantly and independently correlated with both left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and mitral regurgitant volume. A'-A showed a strong correlation with left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (r = 0.70; P <.0001), but the relation with mitral regurgitant volume was not significant (r = 0.19; P =.08). Mitral regurgitation affects the majority of Doppler parameters widely used to predict filling pressure but does not influence Ad'-Ad, which proved to be the strongest predictor of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure.     

Diastolic stress echocardiography: a novel noninvasive diagnostic test for diastolic dysfunction using supine bicycle exercise Doppler echocardiography.

Left ventricular filling pressures can be estimated reliably by combining mitral inflow early diastolic velocity (E) and annulus velocity (E'). An increased E/E' ratio reflects elevated filling pressures and may be useful in assessing an abnormal increase in filling pressures for patients with diastolic dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of supine bicycle exercise Doppler echocardiography for assessing left ventricular diastolic pressure during exercise. Mitral inflow and septal mitral annulus velocities were measured at rest and during supine bicycle exercise (25-W 3-minute increments) in 45 patients (19 men; mean age, 59 years) referred for evaluation of exertional dyspnea. None had echocardiographic or electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial ischemia with exercise. Patients were classified according to E/E' ratio at rest: 26 had E/E' < or = 10 at rest (group 1) and 19 had E/E' > 10 (group 2). For group 1, 17 had no increase in E/E' during exercise (group 1A) and 9 did (group 1B). For group 2, E/E' did not increase during exercise. Despite different responses of E/E', there was no significant difference in changes of mitral inflow indices (E, A, E/A, deceleration time) between groups. Although the percentage of dyspnea as a primary reason for stopping exercise was similar for the groups, exercise duration was significantly shorter for groups 1B (7.2 +/- 2.5 minutes) and 2 (7.1 +/- 3.3 minutes) than in group 1A (10.4 +/- 3.7 minutes, P = .0129). Diastolic stress echocardiography using a supine bicycle is technically feasible for demonstrating changes in E/E' (filling pressure) with exercise. Our preliminary results suggest the hemodynamic consequences of exercise-induced increase in diastolic filling pressure can be demonstrated noninvasively with exercise Doppler echocardiography.     

多普勒组织成像鉴别陈旧性心肌梗死患者舒张功能假性正常

目的 探讨应用多普勒组织成像（DTI）检测二尖瓣环舒张期运动速度可否鉴别陈旧性心肌梗死（OMI）患者舒张功能假性正常。 方法 OMI舒张功能假性正常患者68例，正常对照组50例，应用脉冲多普勒（PWD）分别测量二尖瓣口舒张早期峰值流速（E）、舒张晚期峰值流速（A）、E／A、E峰减速时间（DT）、左室等容舒张时间（IRT）、肺静脉收缩波（S）、舒张波（D）、S／D及心房收缩波（Ar）；转换DTI速度模式，测量左室侧壁缘二尖瓣环舒张早期运动峰值速度（Ea）、舒张晚期运动峰值速度（Aa）并计算Ea／Aa。 结果 OMI舒张功能假性正常患者与正常人的年龄和血流频谱E、A、E／A、IRT、D、S／D及二尖瓣环Aa测值比较无显著性差异（P〉0.05），DT缩短和S波降低具有显著性差异（P〈0．05），肺静脉血流Ar较正常人升高，而二尖瓣环Ea及Ea／Aa较比正常人明显减低，具有显著性差异（P〈0．01）。 结论 DTI检测二尖瓣环Ea及Ea／Aa比值可鉴别OMI患者舒张功能假性正常。     

多普勒组织成像鉴别肥厚型心肌病舒张功能假性正常

目的　探讨应用多普勒组织成像 (DTI)二尖瓣环舒张速度鉴别肥厚型心肌病舒张功能假性正常。方法　在正常人与肥厚型心肌病患者中应用脉冲多普勒技术分别测量二尖瓣口舒张早期峰值速率 (E)、舒张晚期峰值速率 (A) ,肺静脉收缩波 (S)、舒张波 (D)及心房收缩波 (Ar)。转换DTI速度模式 ,测量二尖瓣环各点舒张早期峰值速率 (Ea)、舒张晚期峰值速率 (Aa)并计算Ea/Aa。结果　肥厚型心肌病舒张功能假性正常患者与正常人二尖瓣E、A、E/A差异无显著性意义 (均 P >0 .0 5 ) ,肺静脉S、S/D、Ar差异有显著性意义 (均 P <0 .0 1) ,二尖瓣环Ea及Ea/Aa差异有显著性意义 (P <0 .0 1) ,Aa差异无显著性意义 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论　多普勒组织成像二尖瓣环Ea及Ea/Aa可鉴别肥厚型心肌病舒张功能假性正常     

组织多普勒显像评价二尖瓣置换术后左心室功能

目的 探讨应用组织多普勒显像(TDI)评价二尖瓣置换(MVR)术后左室功能的临床价值.方法 45例接受MVR术后3个月以上患者为病例组,根据心律分为心房颤动组和窦性心律组,并选取30例正常人为对照组.应用常规超声心动图测量左房室腔大小、机械瓣口流速、射血分数等指标;应用TDI测量心尖四腔观二尖瓣环间隔处和侧壁处运动收缩期峰值速度(Sm)、舒张期峰值速度(Em)、等容舒张时间(IVRT);计算E/Em.结果 ①与对照组相比,MVR组二尖瓣环Sm、Em均明显减低,IVRT延长(P＜0.001),但窦性心律组与心房颤动组之间差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05);②MVR组E/Em较对照组明显增高,二者差异有统计学意义(P＜0.001),且E/Em与IVRT呈正相关;以E/Em＞15.0为最佳截断值,评价左室舒张功能变化的敏感性为91.11%,特异性为90.32%,ROC曲线下面积为0.9548±0.0402.结论 TDI能够准确评价MVR后左室功能,E/Em作为一种评价心肌舒张和左室充盈压的量化指标可以评价MVR术后患者左室舒张功能.     

Impact of mitral E/A ratio on the accuracy of different echocardiographic indices to estimate left ventricular end-diastolic pressure

The objective was to determine the influence of left ventricular (LV) inflow pattern on the accuracy of different echocardiographic indices for estimation of LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). Echocardiography with color tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and LVEDP measurements using fluid-filled catheters were performed in 176 consecutive patients on the same day. Mitral peak diastolic velocities (E, A) and the difference in duration between pulmonary venous retrograde velocity and mitral A-velocity (PV(R)-A) were recorded by pulsed Doppler. Propagation velocity of the early mitral inflow (V(P)) was assessed using color M-mode. Early diastolic longitudinal (E'(lat)) and radial (E'(radial)) velocities of mitral annulus were measured by TDI. Area under ROC curve (AUC) for prediction of elevated LVEDP (> or =15 mm Hg) was computed for each parameter. For E/A > or =1 (98 patients, 46 with elevated LVEDP), the AUC values were: PV(R)-A: 0.914; E/E'(lat): 0.780; E/E'(radial): 0.729; E/V(P): 0.712 (p < 0.001). When E/A <1 (78 patients, 26 with elevated LVEDP), only PV(R)-A reached statistical significance (AUC = 0.893, p < 0.001). The conclusions were: PV(R)-A enabled the most accurate noninvasive estimation of LVEDP irrespective of LV filling profile and combined indices E/V(P), E/E'(lat) and E/E'(radial) represent more feasible alternatives for patients with mitral E/A-1.     

心房颤动患者冷冻消融联合左心耳封堵术后左心房结构和功能的超声心动图评价

目的应用超声心动图评价阵发性心房颤动患者冷冻消融联合左心耳封堵（CA+LAAC）术前、术后左心房结构和功能的变化。 方法选取2019年9月至2021年3月于辽宁省人民医院行“一站式”手术（CA+LAAC）的患者26例。所有患者分别于术前1周内、术后3个月行超声心动图检查评价左心房的结构和功能。行常规超声心动图检查，测量常规超声心动图参数：左心房前后径（LAD）、左心房最大容积（LAVmax）、左心房最小容积（LAVmin）、左心室射血分数（LVEF）、左心室舒张早期二尖瓣口血流速度（E峰）、二尖瓣环侧壁和房间隔侧舒张早期运动速度的平均值（e'）。并计算左心房最大容积指数（LAVImax）、左心房最小容积指数（LAVImin）、左心房射血分数（LAEF）、左心房扩张指数（LAEI）及E/e'。应用二维斑点追踪超声心动图（2D-STI）在心尖四腔心和心尖两腔心切面测量左心房应变参数：心室收缩期左心房储备期纵向峰值应变（PALSres），心室舒张早期左心房管道期纵向峰值应变（PALScond）及心室舒张晚期左心房泵功能期纵向峰值应变（PALSpump）。采用配对样本t检验比较术前与术后3个月超声心动图参数。 结果与术前相比，CA+LAAC手术后3个月，LAD、LAVmax、LAVmin、LAVImax、LAVImin减小，差异均有统计学意义（P均＜0.05），LAEF、LAEI、LVEF，PALSres、PALScond、PALSpump与术前相比均增大，差异均有统计学意义（P均＜0.05）。 结论CA+LAAC术后3个月，阵发性心房颤动患者左心房的结构和功能均得到改善和恢复，超声心动图对于评估心房颤动患者左心房结构和功能具有良好的应用价值。     

Estimation of Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Pressure with the Difference in Pulmonary Venous and Mitral A Durations Is Limited When Mitral E and A Waves Are Overlapped

Previous studies showed that difference in pulmonary venous and mitral A-wave durations can be used for the estimation of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, which is based on the assumption that the pulmonary venous A wave and mitral A wave start with the beginning of left atrial contraction. It is also assumed that the mitral A wave ends with the end of left atrial contraction. These assumptions may not be correct if left atrial contraction occurs before the early left ventricular filling is completed. Adequate Doppler mitral inflow and pulmonary venous flow signals were obtained simultaneously with left ventricular pressures at the cardiac catheterization laboratory in 50 patients who showed separated E and A waves in mitral inflow. After heart rate was increased by right atrial pacing to make the mitral E and A waves overlap, Doppler and hemodynamic measurements were repeated. When E and A waves are separated, pulmonary A-wave duration exceeding mitral A-wave duration has a sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 85% in the prediction of elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (≥20 mm Hg), whereas the pulmonary A wave ending later than mitral A wave has a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 45%. When the mitral E and A waves are overlapped, the pulmonary A wave ending later than mitral A wave is better for the prediction of elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (sensitivity 55%, specificity 75%) than pulmonary A-wave duration exceeding mitral A-wave duration (sensitivity 9%, specificity 96%). However, overall, both methods are limited for clinical use. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1999;12:106-12.)     

组织多普勒显像技术评价初发心肌梗死患者左室功能

目的探讨组织多普勒显像（DTI）技术在评价初发心肌梗死患者左室功能中的应用价值。方法常规超声心动图检查显示左室收缩及舒张功能正常的初发心肌梗死患者18例及与其年龄匹配的健康对照者15例入选本研究。应用DTI技术二尖瓣环平均运动速度指标评价两组对象的左室功能。同时计算二尖瓣血流舒张早期峰值速度与二尖瓣环舒张早期峰值速度的比值（E／Em）,以评估左室平均充盈压。结果心肌梗死患者组二尖瓣环收缩期峰值速度（Sm）、舒张早期速度（Em）及晚期峰值速度（Am）均明显低于正常对照组（P〈0．05）;心肌梗死组E／Em比值明显高于正常对照组（P〈0．05）。结论DTI技术可以较常规超声心动图更加敏感地检测出初发心肌梗死患者的左室功能异常。     

Determination of left ventricular filling pressure by new echocardiographic methods in patients with coronary artery disease

Aim The present study was designed to determine the reliability of the analysis of the time difference between onset of mitral inflow and onset of early diastolic mitral annulus velocity and mean systolic strain index, and comparing them with E/E′ in the detection of increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods Eighty patients (mean age: 57.2 ± 11.5 years) referred for cardiac catheterization were studied. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to LVEDP (group 1: LVEDP > 20 mmHg, n = 39 patients; group 2: LVEDP ≤20 mmHg, n = 41 patients). From the mitral inflow, peak E velocity was calculated. With tissue Doppler echocardiography, early diastolic velocity (E′) measured from the septal, lateral, inferior and lateral mitral annulus and mean value of E′ and E/E′ ratio were calculated. The time difference between onset of mitral inflow and onset of early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (T_E′-E) was calculated. From the apical chambers, the peak systolic strain value of 16 left ventricular (LV) segments was measured and the mean of these 16 segments was calculated and referred to as mean systolic strain index. Results The patients with increased LVEDP (group 1) had a higher E/E′ ratio (13.8 ± 3.4 vs. 9.9 ± 2.8, P < 0.001) and lower mean systolic strain index (11.8 ± 3.4 % vs. 13.5 ± 3.6 %, P = 0.038) than patients in group 2. The sensitivity of E/E′ > 13.42 for identifying LVEDP > 20 mmHg was 71%, with a specificity of 89%. The sensitivity of a mean systolic strain index < 10.57% for identifying LVEDP > 20 mmHg was 44%, with a specificity of 83%. T_E′-E was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion The decreased longitudinal function of the left ventricle is related to increased LVEDP. The E/E’ ratio, which in recent years has been used for the prediction of LV filling pressures, was a better predictor for increased LVEDP than the mean systolic strain score index and the time difference between onset of mitral inflow and onset of early diastolic mitral annulus velocity in patients with coronary artery disease.     

Tachycardia during the valsalva maneuver: a sign of normal diastolic filling pressures.

Alteration of the loading conditions during the Valsalva maneuver is a helpful ancillary method in the noninvasive assessment of diastolic filling of the heart by Doppler echocardiography. When tachycardia is induced by the maneuver, mitral inflow velocity curves may become uninterpretable because of E velocity (the initial early diastolic velocity on the transmitral flow velocity curve) and A velocity (the velocity at atrial contraction on the transmitral flow velocity curve) wave fusion. To determine the clinical significance of the E velocity and A velocity wave fusion, our study assessed the relation between the heart rate response induced by the Valsalva maneuver and the left ventricular filling pressures measured during cardiac catheterization. In all, 77 patients performed the maneuver during continuous hemodynamic and electrocardiographic monitoring. The ratio between the baseline R-R interval and the shortest R-R interval during the maneuver was calculated. A ratio value higher than 1.1 was predictive of a pre-A pressure of less than 18 mm Hg (94% positive predictive value). Reflex tachycardia during the Valsalva maneuver and subsequent fusion of the E velocity and A velocity waves on the mitral velocity curves is a sign of normal left ventricular filling pressures.     

多普勒超声心动图评价兔左心室舒张功能与充盈压

目的 探讨舒张早期二尖瓣口血流速度(E)、瓣环运动速度(Ea)及E/Ea比值等多普勒指标在评价左心室舒张功能和充盈压方面的价值.方法 采用缩窄腹主动脉法建立18只左心室压力超负荷兔舒张功能不全模型(模型组),应用多普勒超声心动图观察左心大小、室壁厚度、射血分数(EF)及舒张功能指标,心导管测量左心室舒张末压(LVEDP).8只健康兔作为LVEDP对照(对照组).结果 模型组左心房增大、左心室肥厚、LVEDP明显增高(P＜0.01);多普勒指标Ea降低、E/Ea增高(P均＜0.01),而E/A无明显变化;LVEDP与E/Ea呈正相关(r=0.54,P<0.05).结论 在左心室肥厚所致的舒张功能不全动物模型中,Ea降低反映心肌主动松弛功能减退,E/Ea与LVEDP结合,可综合评价左心室舒张功能及充盈压.     

Triphasic mitral inflow velocity with middiastolic filling: clinical implications and associated echocardiographic findings.

To explore underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of middiastolic filling, we measured early and late mitral inflow velocities, deceleration time of early mitral inflow velocity, and early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E') recorded by pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography in 3 cardiac cycles of 35 patients with prominent mitral inflow (middiastolic flow velocity > or = 0.2 m/s). E' was measured at the septal corner of the mitral annulus by Doppler tissue echocardiography from the apical 4-chamber view and was found to be reduced (E' < 0.1 m/s) in all patients; early mitral inflow velocity/E' ratio was > 10 in all but 1 patient. Valsalva maneuver unmasked delayed relaxation in 15 (88%) of 17 patients and abolished middiastolic filling in 10 (59%). Triphasic mitral inflow with middiastolic flow is related to elevated filling pressure, delayed myocardial relaxation, and slow heart rate, indicating advanced diastolic dysfunction.     

定量组织速度成像测量二尖瓣环运动速度

目的　应用定量组织速度成像测量二尖瓣环运动速度评价扩张型心肌病患者左室舒张功能。方法　定量组织速度成像测量 14例正常人和 14例扩张型心肌病患者二尖瓣环 6个节段 (后间隔和侧壁、前间隔和后壁、前壁和下壁 )舒张早期峰值速度Ve、左房收缩期峰值速度Va ,计算Ve Va ;多普勒超声心动图测量二尖瓣口血流快速充盈速度E峰、左房收缩充盈速度A峰 ,计算E A值。结果　正常人和扩张型心肌病患者两组间E A无显著统计学差异 ,而扩张型心肌病组二尖瓣环平均Ve Va、平均Ve较正常组显著减低 (Ve Va :0 .89± 0 .11vs 1.76± 0 .76,P =0 .0 0 1;Ve :-4 .79± 2 .2 2vs -8.42± 2 .2 7,P<0 .0 0 0 1) ;正常组中二尖瓣环平均Ve Va与E A显著相关 (r =0 .63 ,P =0 .0 0 8) ,而扩张型心肌病组二尖瓣环平均Ve Va与E A无显著相关。结论　扩张型心肌病患者二尖瓣口血流频谱表现为假性正常化 ,定量组织速度成像测量二尖瓣环运动速度可准确评价其左室舒张功能。     

Diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction by Doppler echocardiography

Left ventricular(LV) diastolic dysfunction with preserved LV systolic function is common among patients with hypertension, especially with LV hypertrophy. Doppler echocardiography is one of the most useful clinical tools for the evaluation of diastolic function. Mitral inflow and pulmonary venous flow velocities are used not only for the assessment of diastolic function but also for predicting prognosis. Recently, tissue Doppler echocardiography has been also applied to evaluate diastolic function. Accurate assessment of diastolic function has been demonstrated by measuring both mitral annulus and mitral inflow velocity. In this article, We review the diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction by Doppler echocardiography using mitral inflow velocity, pulmonary venous flow velocity and mitral annulus velocity measured by tissue Doppler imaging.     

The influence of heart rate and age on diastolic blood flow velocity in the left ventricular inflow tract

To investigate the relationship between age-related blood flow velocity and heart rate in the left ventricular inflow tract, we studied 118 healthy volunteers (age greater than 15 years). The maximal velocity (Vmax) of the transmitral diastolic flow during early ventricular filling (E) and during filling due to atrial contraction (A) was measured at 3 sites in the left ventricle with pulsed Doppler echocardiography. At all these sites a significant positive correlation was found between the VmaxA and the EA ratio and the interaction of heart rate and age. VmaxA increases if age and heart rate increase. The influence of the interaction of age and heart rate on VmaxA is most pronounced near the mitral annulus. VmaxA is only related to age and decreases with advancing age. Our observations contribute to the explanation of the more important role of the atrial contraction in the elderly.