| Abstract: | 50 healthy subjects and 685 patients with heart failure (NYHA functional class I-IV) due to coronary heart disease (CHD) aged 34-74 years (mean age 48.1 +/- 8.22 years) were examined. Cardio-hemodynamics was assessed by M- and B-echocardiography from parasternal, subcostal and apical view on a short and long axis with transmitral Doppler. Plasma levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, aldosterone, STH, hydrocortisone were measured in the patients. Progression of cardiac failure is characterized by evolution of the left ventricular ellipse form into a ball shape primarily due to an increase in cross sectional cavity size. The changes of the left ventricular geometry in heart failure patients are combined with progressive reduction of the relative wall thickness index, intensification of the myocardial stress and impairment of diastolic function. The clearest intercoupling between myocardial remodeling and neurohumoral activation was registered in patients with asymptomatic heart failure. With growing severity of left ventricular dysfunction, plasm activity of serotonin, hydrocortisone and aldosterone increase more than levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine and STH. |
