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The aim of the present study was to describe regional and global right ventricular (RV) function in a wide age range of healthy subjects of both sexes. We studied 255 (125 females) healthy individuals randomly selected from the Umeå General Population Register, age 58± 19 (range 22-89) years. RV function was studied using myocardial tissue Doppler imaging of the RV free wall. Isovolumic contraction (IVCv), systolic (Sv), early (Ev), and late (Av) diastolic velocities were measured. Furthermore, isovolumic periods and ejection time intervals were also measured. Conventional Doppler was used to study RV global filling properties. While systolic myocardial velocities were conserved over age, there was a decrease in myocardial E/A ratio with increasing age (r=-0.67, P< 0.001, for base) taken from the RV free wall. A similar age relation was found in RV global filling velocities with a reduced tricuspid E/A ratio (r=-0.57, P< 0.001). Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between global and regional E/A ratios at the basal (r= 0.58, P<= 0.001) and mid-segmental levels (r= 0.46, P<= 0.001). Systolic myocardial velocities behaved independent of age whereas regional as well as global E/A ratio were age-related. No relationship was found between regional isovolumic time intervals and age. Knowledge of these age-dependent relationships is fundamental when evaluating RV function in patients. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 22, April 2005) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS: Although pulmonary venous flow reversal (Ar) is useful in the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function, it is often difficult to study with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). We determined the relationship between Ar and left atrial (LA) mechanical function and sought to define surrogate measurements for Ar. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 130 healthy subjects, mean age 54.3+/-18.3 years, 62 women, were studied and classified into three groups: [young (Y), 25-44 years; n=44], [middle-age (M), 45-64 years; n=43] and [elderly (E), > or =65 years; n=43]. Pulmonary venous flow and LV inflow studies were performed by TTE and LV basal free-wall motion was studied by Doppler tissue imaging (DTI). All images were acquired with a superimposed electrocardiogram. RR interval was similar in all groups while LA dimension and PR interval were increased in Group E vs. Y (P<0.001). LA contraction (A(m)) on DTI, transmitral A-wave (A) and Ar were simultaneous and started 84ms after onset of P wave and this interval increased with age (P=0.02). Similarly, the time intervals from the same landmark to peak A(m), A, and Ar were prolonged with age (all, P<0.001). Despite this prolongation, peak A(m) coincided with peak Ar in every age group (r=0.97, P<0.001) and Ar acceleration and deceleration times were consistently equal. CONCLUSION: The timing of A(m) obtained by DTI can be used to accurately estimate corresponding measurements of Ar recorded by TTE in subjects without cardiac disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Assessment of right ventricular function is important. However, this is not easy to achieve due to the complex anatomy and geometry of the right ventricle, making the evaluation of its function limited. Therefore, a simple reliable and easy method is needed. This study was performed (1) to evaluate the use of right ventricular outflow tract fractional shortening obtained by M-mode echocardiography as a measure of right ventricular systolic function and (2) to determine the relationship between this parameter and other established measurements of right ventricular function such as long axis excursion.Methods and Results: Ninety-two consecutive patients referred for echocardiographic assessment of left and right ventricular function, age mean±SD was 68±14 years, were investigated. Twenty healthy controls, age 46±12 years were also studied. M-mode echocardiography was used to measure right ventricular outflow tract fractional shortening and right ventricular long axis excursion. Doppler echocardiography was used for the estimation of right ventricular–right atrial pressure drop and pulmonary artery acceleration time. Right ventricular outflow tract fractional shortening (P<0·0001), right ventricular long axis excursion (P<0·0001) and pulmonary acceleration time (P<0·0001) were reduced in patients compared to controls. Right ventricular outflow tract fractional shortening correlated with long axis excursion (r=0·66 P<0·0001), pulmonary artery acceleration time (r=0·80 P<0·0001) and right ventricular–right atrial pressure drop (r=−0·53 P<0·0001). Right ventricular long axis excursion correlated with right ventricular–right atrial pressure drop though to a lesser significance (r=−0·27P <0·001). Furthermore, right ventricular outflow tract fractional shortening was reduced in patients with pulmonary hypertension compared to patients without, this difference was not observed in the right ventricular systolic long axis excursion.Conclusion: Right ventricular outflow tract fractional shortening provides a simple and non-invasive measure of right ventricular systolic function. In combination with long axis excursion and Doppler velocities they should provide comprehensive assessment of right ventricular function. Copyright 2002 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Much in the diagnosis of diastolic ventricular dysfunction is dependent upon the filling pattern, and most patients diagnosed with diastolic heart failure are elderly. Data from healthy asymptomatic individuals across a range of ages are rare. We sought to find an age-related variation in normal diastolic physiology, specifically the filling pattern and segmental myocardial longitudinal velocities.Methods and Results To assess the effect of normal ageing on left ventricular longitudinal function, we studied myocardial shortening and lengthening velocities using the tissue Doppler technique in 60 healthy subjects who were randomly selected from the Umeå (Sweden) General Population Register, which represents a wide range of ages (23–88 years). Myocardial velocities were documented at four left ventricular sites (anterior, left, posterior and septal) and at three levels (basal, mid-cavity and apical). Transmitral, transtricuspid and pulmonary venous flow velocities were recorded using pulsed-wave Doppler. While systolic myocardial velocities were conserved across ages, there was a marked decrease in early diastolic velocities with age (from 16cm.s−1at 30 years to 9cm.s−1at 80 years at the basal segment) and a corresponding significant increase in late diastolic velocities (from 10 to 16cm.s−1). Although these findings were most marked at the basal level, they were also clearly manifested at the apical level. Myocardial lengthening velocities were related to transmitral flow velocities, showing a correlation of 0·64 (P<0·0001) in early diastole and 0·68 (P<0·0001) in late diastole. Finally, diastolic pulmonary venous flow velocity was found to correlate with early diastolic myocardial velocities (at the basal level, r=0·53, P<0·0001).Conclusions Normal ageing causes a decrease in early diastolic and a substantial increase in late diastolic myocardial lengthening velocities. These changes explain the known trends in the transmitral flow pattern with age. In contrast, systolic myocardial velocities do not change significantly with age. These findings should be considered when evaluating diastolic function, especially in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: The present study was performed to measure concentrations of plasma noradrenaline and neuropeptide-Y-like immunoreactivity in relation to cardiac function in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods: Plasma noradrenaline was measured by high performance liquid chromatography and neuropeptide-Y by radioimmunoassay in 30 consecutive patients with SSc and 48 sex and age matched controls. Left ventricular (LV) function was evaluated by Echocardiography.Results: There were no significant differences between patients and controls in either plasma noradrenaline or plasma neuropeptide-Y. LV dysfunction and hypertrophy were common among patients. Plasma Neuropeptide-Y was related only to systolic function, while noradrenaline was related to both systolic and diastolic function as well as to LV hypertrophy.Conclusion: Patients with SSc develop different forms of myocardial dysfunction without activation of the sympathetic nervous system as evaluated by plasma noradrenaline and neuropeptide-Y; leaving vascular disease of the heart to be a main candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis is a multisystemic disorder, also affecting the heart. To evaluate its influence on systolic left ventricular (LV) function, we investigated 30 consecutive patients (age 54.5 ±2.4 years, 15 men and 15 women) and 48 controls matched for age and sex. All subjects were investigated by phonocardiography, pulse curve recordings, M-mode echocardiography, and by pulsed and continuous wave Doppler. Heart rate, blood pressure and peripheral resistance did not differ, but patients weighed less than controls (P<0.01). Systolic time intervals indicated systolic impairment, with an increased pre-ejection period to LV ejection time (LVET) ratio (0.37±0.02 vs 0.30±0.01 P<0.001), and also an increased isovolumic contraction time to LVET ratio (0.17±0.02 vs 0.12±0.01, P<0.02). The latter difference remained when LVET was adjusted for heart rate. Echocardiographic E-point to septal separation was increased in patients (8.3± 1.3 vs 4.8±0.3mm, P = 0.001), also after adjustment for LV dimension (P = 0.0001), while septal fractional thickening was decreased (P<0.01). End systolic wall stress (P = 0.0002) and stress to volume ratio (P = 0.03) were lower in systemic sclerosis. Peak LV emptying rate was also lower in the patient group when measured by echocardiography (P = 0.03). There was no difference between groups regarding LV dimensions, fractional shortening or mean velocity of circumferential fibre shortening. While aortic Doppler peak emptying rate did not differ between groups, it occurred later in systole in the patient group (P<0.01) as did peak velocity (P = 0.0001). Cardiac output did not differ between the groups. In all, 18 of 30 patients (60%) had a systolic abnormality. However, only one patient had dilated cardiomyopathy, and two other patients had poor systolic function without L V dilatation. There was no relation between disease duration and systolic LV function. We conclude that, in a consecutive series of patients with systemic sclerosis, systolic LVfunction is frequently impaired. While time intervals, emptying rate, and wall fractional thickening are affected, cardiac output and LV cavity dimensions are usually not. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Endocardial border detection is important for echocardiographic assessment of left-ventricular function. Second harmonic imaging of contrast agents enhances this border detection. We discovered that harmonic imaging improves tissue visualisation even before contrast injection. We therefore sought objectively to demonstrate the degree of enhancement of endocardial and myocardial visualisation.Methods: An ATL HDI-3000 scanner with software for contrast harmonic imaging was used to record short-axis images of the left ventricle in 27 patients with possible myocardial disease and 22 controls, in the fundamental mode and with harmonic imaging. A computer program measured the relative grey-scale values within six segments of the endocardium and myocardium. An Acuson Sequoia scanner equipped with software for tissue harmonic imaging was used to investigate the reproducibility of ejection-fraction calculations in 22 patients with ischaemic heart disease.Findings: Harmonic imaging produced brighter endocardium within each segment. Relative to the mean grey value of the total imaging sector, the values for harmonic and fundamental imaging were 171.5 vs 85.6% (p<0.0001) in end diastole and 194.1 vs 106.7% (p<0.0001) in end systole. Results for the myocardial segments were also significantly better for harmonic imaging. Structure enhancement of similar magnitude was seen among patients and healthy controls. Use of harmonic imaging reduced the proportion of unacceptable images by 14-46% in different views and improved the reproducibility of biplane ejection-fraction measurements.Interpretation: In comparison with fundamental imaging, the relative endocardial and myocardial brightness is enhanced by harmonic imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]