Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function

Invasive measurements of maximum acceleration of aortic blood flow are sensitive indicators of left ventricular function. Doppler echocardiography provides noninvasive measurements of aortic blood flow acceleration. Our studies establish the accuracy of Doppler-derived indices of aortic blood flow velocity for evaluation of left ventricular function. Doppler-derived peak velocity and mean acceleration showed excellent correlation with invasively measured peak left ventricular dP/dt and maximum aortic blood flow (dQ/dt) under varying heart rate, preload, afterload, and inotropic states. Similar correlations were observed between Doppler-derived peak velocity and mean acceleration and invasively measured left ventricular dP/dt and dQ/dt under conditions of varying degrees of myocardial ischemia. Thus, Doppler echocardiography provides an accurate noninvasive method to evaluate left ventricular performance.     

二尖瓣及肺静脉多普勒血流参数评价左室舒张功能

目的 本研究联合使用二尖瓣及肺静脉血流速度曲线多普勒血流参数来评价左室舒张功能及鉴别二尖瓣血流速度曲线假性正常化。方法 用经胸超声心动图记录二尖瓣及肺静脉血流速度曲线,测量各血流参数,使用猪尾导管测量左室舒张末压(LVEDP)。结果 显示心房收缩期肺静脉逆向血流时限与二尖瓣心房收缩期血流时限的差值(PVad-Ad)同LVEDP的相关性良好(r=0.69,P<0.001),PVad-Ad>0ms预测LVEDP≥15 mmHg(2kPa)的敏感性为80％,特异性为81％,如果用PVad-Ad>0ms预测二尖瓣血流速度曲线假性正常化,敏感性为100％,特异性为78％。结论 PVad-Ad是评价左室舒张期充盈压的重要指标,能准确地鉴别二尖瓣血流速度曲线正常或假性正常化。     

Doppler echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular filling dynamics in patients with coronary heart disease and normal systolic function

The purpose of this study was to assess altered left ventriculardiastolic filling by noninvasive means in patients with coronaryartery disease and normal systolic pump function. Mitral inflowvelocity was measured by pulsed Doppler, and left ventricularvolumes were obtained from cross-sectional echocardiographyat rest and during upright bicycle exercise. Peak and integratedearly and late diastolic filling velocities were calculatedfrom Doppler-derived time-velocity curves. Studies were performedin normal subjects (group I, n = 8) and in patients with angiographicallyproven coronary artery disease (Group II, n = 18). The ejectionfraction was not significantly different in group II as comparedto group I (group 1, 60 ± 7%; group II, 55 ± 11%).During exercise, ejection fraction increased significantly ingroup I by 7·6%, but did not increase in group II. Inall cases, diastolic filling showed a biphasic pattern. At rest,the major part of diastolic filling occurred during early diastole:the ratio of early filling velocity integral (E) to the latefilling velocity integral (L) was significantly greater in groupI than in group II (group I, 1·74 ± 37; groupII, 1·19 ±·3, P<0·001). Duringexercise, early diastolic filling was unchanged in normal subjectsbut decreased in patients, with a significant decrease in E/Lindex of 34% (P < 0·001). Thus, pulsed Doppler echocardiography provides a useful methodfor assessing noninvasively exercise-induced changes in leftventricular diastolic filling dynamics in patients with coronaryartery disease.     

多普勒超声对左室舒张压升高的评估作用

目的探讨二尖瓣口血流频谱和瓣环的组织多普勒频谱与左室平均舒张压的关系。方法将79例患者分为正常组、早期舒张功能不全组和假性正常化组,测量其二尖瓣口的血流频谱（E、A、E/A比值和E峰减速时间DT）、二尖瓣环的组织多普勒频谱（s、e、a和e/a比值）、肺静脉血流频谱（PVs、PVd）及E/e。结果与假性正常化组的E/e比值比较,显著高于其它两组（P<0.01）;与假性正常化组的左室平均舒张压（mLVDP）为（12.6±2.8）mmHg比较,显著高于早期舒张功能不全组的左室平均舒张压（6.8±1.7）mmHg（P<0.01）,E/e比值与左室平均舒张压（mLVDP）呈较好的相关性（r=0.83,P<0.01）。结论E/e比值增高对评估mLVDP升高意义较大。     

Accuracy of Doppler ultrasound in evaluating changes of left ventricular diastolic properties

In order to evaluate the effect of an increase in preload caused by contrast medium (Renografin-75) on Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular diastolic properties, left ventricular pressure using a catheter tip micromanometer and pulsed-Doppler measurement of transmitral flow signals were measured simultaneously in 15 patients with coronary artery disease pre- and post-left ventricular angiography. After left ventricular angiography, changes in indices determined from left ventricular pressure were significant: left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased from 17 +/- 2 mmHg to 24 +/- 2 mmHg (mean +/- SE) (P less than 0.001), maximum -dP/dt increased from 1,129 +/- 63 to 1,307 +/- 90 mmHg/sec (P less than 0.005), and time constant decreased from 73 +/- 2 to 67 +/- 1 msec (P less than 0.01). Changes in Doppler-derived indices were also significant: A/E ratio decreased from 0.99 +/- 0.08 to 0.81 +/- 0.07 (P less than 0.01), peak velocity of early diastolic filling increased from 0.61 +/- 0.03 to 0.79 +/- 0.03 M/sec (P less than 0.01), and deceleration rate increased from 3.1 +/- 0.2 to 4.6 +/- 0.2 M/sec 2 (P less than 0.01). Changes in Doppler echocardiographic indices (DR, acceleration half time, deceleration half time, and A/E ratio) were accompanied by changes in time constant and maximum -dP/dt after left ventricular angiography. However, the correlations between changes in hemodynamic indices and changes in Doppler echocardiographic indices were poor (r = 0.06 to 0.67).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

New Doppler echocardiographic applications for the evaluation of early alterations in left ventricular diastolic function after coronary angioplasty.

AIMS: The early effect of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was investigated with the aid of new Doppler echocardiographic applications. METHODS: Thirty patients with isolated severe left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis were included. All patients exhibited abnormal diastolic function demonstrated by prolonged isovolumic relaxation and deceleration time and decreased E/A ratio. New Doppler indexes included the flow propagation velocity of E wave, E and A waves' transit time to the left ventricular outflow tract, the ratio of these transit times in addition to the traditional isovolumic relaxation time, mitral deceleration time, and early and late transmitral peak flow velocities. All measurements were performed within 4 h before angioplasty and repeated within 24 h after the procedure. RESULTS: After angioplasty none of these parameters, except the A-wave transit time, were changed significantly. The A-wave transit time increased significantly from 57 +/- 5 ms to 78 +/- 7 ms within 24 h after successful angioplasty. The ratio of E- and A-wave transit time decreased significantly due to this significant increase in A-wave transit time. CONCLUSION: In this study, early improvement of Doppler index of left ventricular diastolic compliance is demonstrated after successful angioplasty.     

Doppler echocardiographic observations of diastolic trans-septal flow through small ventricular septal defects.

Turbulent left-to-right trans-septal diastolic blood flow with a peak velocity greater than 0.5 m.s-1 was detected by pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 10 out of 204 (4.9%) children with isolated small ventricular septal defects. For children older than 10 years, it was observed in over a quarter of cases (27%). Peak diastolic velocities ranged from 0.6-1.9 m.s-1 (mean 1.2 m.s-1) and in all patients the duration of diastolic flow exceeded that of the systolic trans-septal jet. Three different patterns of diastolic flow were observed and in eight cases pre-systolic acceleration was present. Turbulent diastolic flow across small ventricular septal defects is a common finding in older children and should not be confused with other causes of disturbed diastolic flow within the right ventricle.     

Alterations in left ventricular structure and diastolic function in professional football players: assessment by tissue Doppler imaging and left ventricular flow propagation velocity

BACKGROUND: Long-term regular exercise is associated with physiologic and morphologic cardiac alterations. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and ventricular early flow propagation velocity (Vp) are new tolls in the evaluation of myocardial function. We sought to compare TDI and Vp findings in professional football players and age-adjusted sedentary controls to assess the effect of regular athletic training on myocardial function. METHODS: Twenty-four professional football players and age-, sex-, and weight-adjusted 20 control subjects underwent standard Doppler echocardiography pulsed TDI, performed parasternal four-chamber views by placing sample volume septal and lateral side of mitral annulus and lateral tricuspid annulus. Vp values were obtained by measuring the slope delineated by first aliasing velocity from the mitral tips toward the apex by using apical four-chamber color M-mode Doppler images. RESULTS: Age, body surface area, blood pressure, and heart rate were comparable between two groups. Football players had significantly increased LV mass, mass index (due to both higher wall thickness and end-diastolic diameter), end-systolic and end-diastolic volume, left atrial diameter, and decreased transmitral diastolic late velocity. In athletes TDI analysis showed significantly increased mitral annulus septal DTI peak early diastolic (e) velocity (0.22 +/- 0.04 vs 0.19 +/- 0.04, P < 0.05), lateral DTI peak e velocity (0.19 +/- 0.03 vs 0.16 +/- 0.02, P < 0.05) and lateral DTI e/a peak velocity ratio (1.96 +/- 0.41 and 1.66 +/- 0.23, P < 0.05). The ratio of transmitral peak early diastolic velocity (E) to e in both lateral (4.72 +/- 1.20 vs 5.95 +/- 1.38, P = 0.007) and septal (3.90 +/- 0.80 vs 5.25 +/- 1.50, P = 0.002) side of mitral annulus were significantly lower in athletes. In Vp evaluation, we found higher Vp values (60.52 +/- 6.95 in athletes and 56.56 +/- 4.24 in controls, P = 0.03) in football players. CONCLUSIONS: Professional football playing is associated with morphologic alteration in left ventricle and left atrium and improvement in left ventricle diastolic function that can be detected by TDI and Vp. These techniques may be new tools to define and quantitate the degree of LV diastolic adaptations to endurance exercise.     

脉冲多普勒超声心动图评价糖尿病患者的左室舒张功能

本文应用脉冲多普勒超声心动图评价无心脏病或充血性心力衰竭临床表现的４６例糖尿病患者的左室舒张功能，并与４５例健康人对比，发现糖尿病患者的峰值速度Ｅ，峰值速度Ｅ与峰值速度Ａ之比及充盈分数值明显低于对照组，而峰值速度Ａ和等容舒张时间值则明显而于对照组，两组差异非常显著（Ｐ＜０．０１）。结果表明糖尿病患者左室舒张功能下降，主要为左室舒缓性减退，提示舒张早期左室充盈障碍和舒张晚期左室顺应性下降。     

Effect of aging on Doppler echocardiographic filling parameters in normal subjects and in patients with coronary artery disease

This study was performed investigate and to investigate the influence of age on left ventricular diastolic filling parameters, as assessed by pulsed Doppler echocardiography. The study population consisted of 67 normal healthy subjects (Group I, age 15-66 years) and 117 patients (Group II, age 24-79 years), with angiographically proven coronary artery disease. Transmitral flow velocities were obtained by pulsed Doppler measurements at the level of the mitral annulus. Peak early and late diastolic filling velocities as well as integrated velocities during early and late filling phases were investigated for their relation to aging and a possible alteration with coronary artery disease. In normal subjects, a reduction of early filling velocities and a compensatory increase in late filling velocities were found with increasing age. In patients with coronary artery disease, however, there was no significant correlation of filling parameters with age. In addition, a comparison of filling parameters between age-matched normals and patients with coronary artery disease showed a further reduction of the contribution of early filling in patients with coronary artery disease. Thus, factors other than age may influence left ventricular diastolic filling behavior in patients with coronary artery disease. This can be demonstrated noninvasively using pulsed Doppler technique.     

Echo-Doppler evaluation of the effects of heart rate increments on left atrial pump function in normal human subjects

It is commonly believed that the atrial contribution to left ventricular filling increases during heart rate increments. However, the relative contribution of the pump function (atrial systole) and of the passive role (diastasis and reservoir) of the atrium to end-diastolic left ventricular filling is not well known. In order to investigate this problem, we performed a two-dimensional echo-Doppler study during right atrial pacing. Transmitral flow velocity curves were obtained by means of pulsed Doppler. Pacing was performed (1) at the lowest heart rate at which it was possible to obtain a stable capture of the atria, (2) at the heart rate at which the early and late Doppler filling waves almost completely overlapped. In both stages pacing was interrupted for a few seconds to obtain some post-pacing beats. Doppler tracing recorded at rest, during pacing and in the immediate post-pacing beats were analysed to obtain well-known parameters of atrial contribution; atrial peak flow velocity, early to atrial peak flow velocity ratio, and time-velocity integral of the atrial wave. Furthermore, in order to distinguish end-diastolic passive flow from the active contribution of atrial systole to filling, we superimposed the envelope of the last Doppler curve obtained during atrial pacing over the envelope of the first post-pacing curve. In this way the area of the atrial wave of the paced beat was divided by the mid-diastolic part of the post-pacing one into two areas, the integrals of which correspond to the active and passive atrial contribution respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

左室舒张性心功能障碍超声左心形态、功能及运动耐量的改变50例分析

对核素心血池扫描证实的５０例左室舒张性心功能障碍（ＬＶＤＤ）病例、２６例左室收缩性心功能障碍（ＬＶＳＨＦ）病例进行Ｍ型、二维、多普勒超声心动图及活动平板运动试验检测，并以２０例正常人为对照组（ＣＧ）。结果表明：（１）左心形态学改变：与ＬＶＳＨＦ组比较，ＬＶＤＤ组左房内径（ＬＡＤ）、左室内径（ＬＶＤ）无明显增加，室间隔厚度（ＩＶＳＴ）、左室后壁厚度（ＰＷＴ）增加。与ＣＧ组比较，ＬＶＤＤ组ＬＡＤ、ＩＶＳＴ、ＰＷＴ增加，但ＬＶＤ差异无显著性。（２）ＬＶＤＤ组收缩功能指标：左室射血分数（ＬＶＥＦ）、心脏指数（ＣＩ）与ＣＧ组比较差异无显著性，ＬＶＳＨＦ组与ＣＧ组比较，ＬＶＳＨＦ组ＬＶＥＦ、ＣＩ减低。与ＣＧ组比较，ＬＶＤＤ组左室舒张功能指标：二尖瓣舒张早期流速峰值（ＥＰＦＶ）、二尖瓣舒张早、晚期流速峰值比（Ｅ／Ａ）、舒张早期减速度（ＤＣ）比ＣＧ组减低，二尖瓣舒张晚期流速峰值（ＡＰＦＶ）、等容舒张时间（ＩＲＴ）较ＣＧ组增高。ＬＶＤＤ组各左室舒张功能指标与ＬＶＳＨＦ组差异无显著性。（３）ＬＶＤＤ组运动时间、运动当量显著低于ＣＧ组，但高于ＬＶＳＨＦ组。     

Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular diastolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

AIMS: Left ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has been adequately studied. In contrast there are few studies concerning right ventricular diastolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We studied right ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using Doppler echocardiography. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 20 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (mean age 43.6+/-13.8 years) and 20 healthy volunteers (control group, mean age 43+/-13.8 years). We calculated left ventricular and right ventricular diastolic indices using pulsed Doppler echocardiography. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients compared with controls had significantly lower right ventricular-E/A ratio (1.01+/-0.40 vs 1.30+/-0.28, P<0.04), significantly prolonged right ventricular isovolumic relaxation time (170+/-72 vs 32+/-23 ms, P<0.001), and also significantly prolonged right ventricular deceleration time (160+/-58 vs 118+/-35 ms, P<0.01). There was also strong significant correlation between right ventricular deceleration time and left ventricular deceleration time (r=0.78), right ventricular-E/A ratio and left atrial filling fraction (r=-0.55) and between right atrial filling fraction and left atrial filling fraction (r=0.75). CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is impaired, reflecting abnormal relaxation. Right ventricular diastolic indices correlate well with those of left ventricle.     

超声心动图观察健康人舒张功能减退与左房增大的相关性及临床意义

目的探讨健康人生理性舒张功能减退与左房增大的相关性及临床意义.方法应用超声心动图方法观察4575例年龄20～97岁健康人的心脏结构、血流及功能,其中男性2150例,女性2425例,取胸骨旁左室长轴切面测量左房、左室,计算左室射血分数.应用多普勒超声心动图测量二尖瓣舒张早期血流峰值速度（EPFV）及心房收缩期血流峰值速度（APFV）.以10岁为一年龄段分为7个年龄组,观察各年龄段心脏结构及心功能是否存在差异.同时观察年龄与心脏结构及心功能的相关性.结果各年龄段左室内径、左室射血分数无统计学差异.随年龄段增加,左房增大,EPFV减慢,APFV增快,E/A比值减小,除80年龄组外,左房内径、EPFV及APFV各年龄段均有统计学差异（均P＜0.05）.年龄与EPFV及E/A比值呈显著负相关,与左房内径、APFV呈显著正相关;左房内径与EPFV及E/A比值呈显著负相关,与APFV呈显著正相关（均P＜0.01）.结论随年龄增长,左房增大,左室舒张功能减退,而左室内径及左室收缩功能无明显变化.左房内径与左室舒张充盈的各项指标具有良好的相关性,提示左房增大可能是左室舒张功能减退的重要表现之一.     

Assessment of systolic and diastolic left ventricular and left atrial function using vector velocity imaging in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Five adult patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) diagnosed by usual criteria were studied with velocity vector imaging (VVI) on admission and at follow-up, when their LV function had improved, as assessed by 2D TTE wall-motion score (WMS) index. Averaged peak segmental longitudinal strain (S) in systole, and velocity (V) and strain rate (SR) in both systole and diastole were measured from apical 4- (A4C) and 2-chamber views (A2C) in all patients. The data obtained by VVI were analyzed separately for involved and uninvolved segments, which were independently assessed by WMS. In the involved segments, systolic S, V, SR, and diastolic SR improved (P-value < 0.05) on follow-up. Diastolic V showed a trend toward improvement but did not reach statistical significance. In the uninvolved segments, none of the parameters improved significantly either during systole or diastole. In three of these five patients, left atrial (LA) walls were also studied by placing region of interest (ROI) points in the middle of each wall. Peak segmental LA systolic and diastolic V and SR as well as systolic S were obtained for both involved and uninvolved LA walls which were assessed independently using WMS similar to LV. In the involved LA walls, none of the atrial systolic and diastolic parameters changed significantly but all parameters with the exception of systolic V showed a tendency toward improvement during follow-up. Among the uninvolved LA walls, none changed significantly but atrial systolic SR and, diastolic V and SR tended to increase during follow-up. Our retrospective study using VVI demonstrates that TC patients also have LV systolic and diastolic longitudinal dysfunction, not just systolic radial dysfunction as assessed by traditional 2D TTE indices. Longitudinal LA dysfunction may also be present.     

Acute effects of cigarette smoking on left ventricular diastolic function.

Cigarette smoking increases coronary resistance in patients with coronary artery disease, causing profound disturbances in myocardial perfusion. The acute effects of smoking a single cigarette on left ventricular diastolic function were studied in 20 smokers with typical angina pectoris and angiographically documented coronary artery disease. Twenty healthy smokers served as a control group. We used simultaneous M-mode echocardiography of the mitral and aortic valves to measure isovolumic relaxation time, and pulsed Doppler echocardiography of transmitral blood flow was recorded to evaluate left ventricular filling before and immediately after smoking. In the patients with coronary artery disease, systemic blood pressure and heart rate significantly increased after smoking. The isovolumic relaxation time, the deceleration time as well as peak A velocity remained unchanged. The peak E velocity decreased by 0.06 m.s-1 (P = 0.02) and the peak E/A velocity ratio by 0.17 m.s-1 (P = 0.01). There were no significant changes in left ventricular diastolic function indexes in the controls. These results indicate that in patients with coronary artery disease, each cigarette provokes disturbances of left ventricular diastolic function.     

Left ventricular diastolic and systolic function during isometric exercise: an echocardiographic study

Normal subjects of both sexes between 20 and 63 years were examined with M-mode echocardiography. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and left ventricular (LV) diastolic and systolic function were measured at rest and at the end of a standardized maximal isometric handgrip test. BP and HR increased about 25%. This increase in cardiac work had no significant influence on LV systolic function. Diastolic function (myocardial relaxation and maximum rate of LV filling), however, improved significantly. Isometric handgrip test is a suitable exercise test in combination with M-mode echocardiography. Studies on LV function during exercise may improve the sensitivity for detection of mild LV dysfunction.     

Diastolic ventricular function in type 1 diabetic patients: a study using Doppler echocardiography.

The transmitral flow velocity pattern of 28 Type 1 diabetic patients and 39 age-matched healthy control subjects was studied for determination of left ventricular diastolic function. No patient had systemic hypertension, congestive heart failure, or ischaemic heart disease by clinical or electrocardiographic criteria. Echocardiographic measures of systolic ventricular function were within normal range in all subjects. The ratio of early to late transmitral peak flow velocity (ve/va) was significantly decreased in the diabetic patients (1.3 +/- 0.1 (+/- SE) vs 1.6 +/- 0.1, p less than 0.05), while other Doppler derived variables did not show any significant difference. No correlation of ve/va with duration of diabetes was found (r = -0.27), but it correlated with age in both groups (both r = -0.40, p less than 0.05). Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between ve/va and heart rate (r = -0.55 for diabetic patients, p less than 0.01; r = -0.58 for control subjects, p less than 0.01). After matching for heart rate (24 diabetic patients and 24 control subjects) no significant decrease of ve/va was observed in the diabetic group.