Age-related changes in diastolic atrioventricular annular velocity: Studies using pulsed Doppler tissue imaging

Age-related changes in the diastolic velocity of the mitral and tricuspid annuli were studied in 67 healthy subjects aged 15 to 79 years. Ventricular inflow velocities were recorded by pulsed Doppler echocardiography with sample volumes at the mitral and tricuspid orifices in the apical four-chamber view, and peak early (E) and late (A) diastolic velocities were measured. Atrioventricular annular velocities were recorded by Doppler tissue imaging with sample volume set on the lateral portion of each annulus in the same view, and peak early (Ea) and late (Aa) diastolic velocities were determined. E and Ea correlated inversely with age, while A and Aa correlated directly with age in both ventricles. E/A and Ea/Aa ratios correlated inversely with age in both ventricles. Coefficients of correlation of these variables with age were higher for annular velocity than for inflow velocity. The E/A ratio at the tricuspid orifice was higher than that at the mitral orifice in all decades. An E/A ratio of less than 1 was observed at the mitral orifice in the sixth decade, but at the tricuspid orifice in the seventh decade. The Ea/Aa ratio at the tricuspid annulus was lower than that at the mitral annulus in all decades. The Ea/Aa ratio was less than 1 at the mitral annulus in the fifth decade and at the tricuspid annulus in the fourth decade. Diastolic function of both ventricles thus deteriorates with age, and diastolic annular velocity reflects ventricular diastolic function more accurately than ventricular inflow velocity.