Search

Background: The diagnosis of heart failure may be challenging because symptoms are rather nonspecific. Elevated left ventricular (LV) filling pressure may be used to confirm the diagnosis, but cardiac catheterization is often not practical. Echocardiographic indexes are therefore used as markers of filling pressure., Objectives: This study investigated the feasibility and accuracy of comprehensive echocardiography in identifying patients with elevated LV filling pressure., Methods: We conducted a multicenter study of 450 patients with a wide spectrum of cardiac diseases referred for cardiac catheterization. Left atrial volume index, in combination with flow velocities and tissue Doppler velocities, was used to estimate LV filling pressure. Invasively measured pressure was used as the gold standard., Results: Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 47%, with 209 patients having an LVEF <50%. Invasive measurements showed elevated LV filling pressure in 58% of patients. Clinical assessment had an accuracy of 72% in identifying patients with elevated filling pressure, whereas echocardiography had an accuracy of 87% (p < 0.001 vs. clinical assessment). The combination of clinical and echocardiographic assessment was incremental, with a net reclassification improvement of 1.5 versus clinical assessment (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Echocardiographic assessment of LV filling pressure is feasible and accurate. When combined with clinical data, it leads to a more accurate diagnosis, regardless of LVEF., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: While speckle imaging has been shown to predict outcome in patients with heart failure (HF), it remains unclear whether speckle strain predicts outcome in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF)., Methods: Four hundred twenty patients with HF by Framingham criteria and either: left ventricular (LV) EF <50%, or elevated LV filling pressure by comprehensive echo Doppler study in the setting of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50%, were enrolled. Speckle tracking was used to measure strain and strain rate in multiple vectors. The primary endpoint was HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death., Results: Follow-up was completed in 380/420 patients (90%). The mean age was 55.7 ± 0.8 years, 191/380 (50%) were male, 319/380 (84%) were hypertensive, 183/380 (48%) were diabetic, and 152/380 (40%) had known coronary artery disease. At a mean follow-up of 369 ± 30 days, 107/380 patients (28%) reached the primary endpoint: 97 HF rehospitalizations and 10 cardiac deaths. The best univariate predictors of outcome were global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) (χ(2) = 25.6, P < 0.001), mitral DT (χ(2) = 16.8, P < 0.001), LVEF (χ(2) = 16.7, P < 0.0001), longitudinal early diastolic strain (χ(2) = 8.7, P = 0.003), and circumferential peak strain (χ(2) = 7.9, P = 0.005). On multivariate analysis, GLPS (P < 0.0001), LVEF (P = 0.0002), and mitral DT (P = 0.005) were independent predictors of outcome. In the 100 HF patients with preserved LVEF, there were 17 events. Patients with GPLS ≤-15 had significantly better event-free survival than patients with GPLS >-15 (χ(2) = 4.1, P = 0.04), whereas LVEF did not predict event-free survival., Conclusion: Speckle strain echocardiography is an important predictor of outcome in HF patients with both depressed and preserved LVEF., (© 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The acute impact of hypertensive crisis, and changes after treatment, on left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function using comprehensive echocardiography, including speckle tracking, has not been well characterized. Thirty consecutive patients admitted to the hospital from the emergency room with hypertensive crisis underwent Doppler echocardiography at baseline and after blood pressure optimization. The mean age of the patients was 54 ± 13 years, with 19 men (63%). The most common presenting symptoms included dyspnea (70%), chest pain (43%), and altered mental status (13%). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures at presentation were 198 ± 12 and 122 ± 12 mm Hg, decreasing to 143 ± 15 and 77 ± 12 mm Hg (p <0.001 for both) after treatment. There was no significant change in LV ejection fraction between baseline and follow-up (48 ± 18% vs 46 ± 18%, p = 0.50); however, global longitudinal LV systolic strain (-10 ± 4% to -12 ± 4%, p = 0.01) and global systolic strain rate (-1.0 ± 0.4 vs -1.4 ± 0.6 s(-1), p = 0.01) significantly improved. Mean global early diastolic strain (-7.2 ± 4.0% to -9.4 ± 2.9%, p = 0.004) and early diastolic strain rate (0.3 ± 0.2 to 0.5 ± 0.4 s(-1), p = 0.05) also improved after treatment. On multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of LV longitudinal strain at follow-up were LV ejection fraction (p <0.001), heart rate (p = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.04), and left atrial volume index (p = 0.05). In conclusion, as opposed to LV ejection fraction, LV systolic strain and strain rate were depressed during hypertensive crisis and significantly improved after medical treatment. LV diastolic function, assessed using conventional and speckle-tracking parameters, was also depressed and significantly improved after treatment., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: There is controversy surrounding the accuracy of echo-Doppler variables, including early mitral inflow/mitral annular velocity (E/e'), for estimating left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) in patients with depressed ejection fraction (EF < 50%)., Methods and Results: The American Society of Echocardiography-European Association of Echocardiography (ASE-EAE) algorithm for diastolic function in depressed LVEF was retrospectively applied to a database of patients who underwent echocardiography ≤20 min of cardiac catheterization. LV pre-atrial contraction pressure (pre-A) ≥15 mmHg was elevated. Of 62 patients studied, the mean age was 53.6 ± 10.6 years and the mean LVEF was 27.2 ± 11.8%. The correlations of E/e' (R = 0.43, P = 0.0005) and E (R = 0.39, P = 0.002) with LV pre-A were modest, compared with pulmonary artery pressure (PAP, R = 0.69, P = 0.0006), E/late mitral (A) velocity (R = 0.52, P < 0.0001), and mitral deceleration time (DT, R = -0.51, P < 0.0001). Using the ASE-ESE algorithm starting with E/A, E, and DT, 54 of 62 patients were accurately classified to predict LV pre-A >15 or <15 mmHg (sensitivity = 84%, specificity = 80%, area under the curve = 0.86, P < 0.001). The 6 of 6 patients with E/A < 1 and E < 50 and the 14 of 15 (93%) patients with E/A> 2 and DT < 150 were correctly classified as having normal and elevated LVFP, respectively, while 34 of 41 (83%) patients with E/A = 1-2 or E/A<1 and E>50 cm/s were correctly classified using the addition of E/e' and PAP., Conclusion: This retrospective study shows that in this population with depressed LVEF, no single echo-Doppler variable had high accuracy for predicting LV pre-A ≥15 mmHg. However, the ASE-EAE algorithm using multiple variables predicted LVFP with good accuracy, superior to any single echo-Doppler variable alone.

Background: There are few data on the impact of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure on systolic and diastolic myocardial mechanics in patients with cardiac disease and preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (≥ 50%)., Methods: Patients referred for cardiac catheterization underwent comprehensive echocardiography within 20 minutes of catheterization. Strain and strain rate in longitudinal, radial, and circumferential directions and torsion were measured in systole and diastole. LV preatrial contraction pressure (pre-A) was measured and averaged over 10 cardiac cycles., Results: Sixty patients were studied (mean age, 55.3 ± 8.9 years). The 30 patients with LV pre-A ≥ 15 mm Hg had significantly lower longitudinal systolic strain and radial, circumferential, and torsional systolic strain rates than the 30 patients with LV pre-A < 15 mm Hg (P < .05 for all). Similar findings were seen for diastolic variables. There were significant correlations between several systolic and diastolic variables in multiple directions and LV pre-A. On multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of systolic and diastolic speckle-tracking parameters included LVEF and LV pre-A, depending on the specific parameter analyzed., Conclusions: In patients with preserved LVEF and cardiac disease, several systolic and diastolic myocardial mechanical parameters significantly correlate with LV filling pressure. These data highlight the notion that patients with preserved LVEF and elevated LV filling pressures have significant abnormalities in systolic function as detected by speckle imaging, findings that may challenge the concept of "isolated diastolic dysfunction." The extent of systolic and diastolic abnormalities in these patients may shed light on the mechanics of heart failure with preserved LVEF., (Copyright © 2010 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are few data on echocardiographic indexes incorporating peak mitral inflow velocity (E), left atrial volume index (LAVi), and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) for estimation of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction (EF ≥ 50%)., Methods: Patients underwent echocardiography ≤20 minutes of cardiac catheterization. Echocardiographic variables were compared to invasively measured LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP)., Results: Of the 122 patients, 67 (55%) were women, the mean age was 55 ± 9 years, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 61 ± 6%, 107 (88%) were hypertensive, and 79 (65%) had significant coronary artery disease at catheterization. E/Ea correlated with LVEDP (R = 0.68, P < 0.0001), compared to PAP (R = 0.53, P < 0.001), peak E velocity (R = 0.48, P < 0.001), and LAVi (R = 0.48, P < 0.001). E/Ea > 12 had 75% sensitivity and 78% specificity for LVEDP ≥ 20 mmHg (area under curve (AUC) = 0.79, P < 0.0001), compared with (PAP + LAVi)/2 > 30 (sensitivity = 72%, specificity = 80%, AUC = 0.84, P < 0.001) and (E + LAVi)/2 > 57 (sensitivity = 73% and specificity = 81%, AUC = 0.82, P < 0.001) (P = NS). E <60 cm/sec had 94% negative, and E>90 cm/sec had 96% positive, predictive value for LVEDP ≥ 20 mmHg. (E + LAVi)/2 added incrementally to E/Ea when E/Ea was in the gray zone., Conclusions: New, simple echocardiographic equations, (E + LAVi)/2 and (PAP + LAVi)/2, have comparable accuracy to E/Ea for LVEDP estimation in patients with cardiac disease and preserved LVEF, and (E + LAVi)/2 added incrementally to E/Ea alone when E/Ea was in the gray zone. Peak E velocity alone had high negative and positive predictive value for elevated LVEDP in this population. These simple echocardiographic variables could be used-in isolation or with E/Ea-in patients with cardiac disease and preserved LVEF for the diagnosis of diastolic heart failure., (© 2010, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: There are few data on adding left atrial volume index (LAVi) or pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PAP) to the ratio of early mitral inflow to mitral annular velocity (E/e') for the estimation of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure in patients with preserved LV ejection fractions (LVEFs) (>50%)., Methods: Patients underwent echocardiography within 20 minutes of cardiac catheterization. Echocardiographic variables were compared with invasively measured LV preatrial contraction pressure (pre-A)., Results: Of the 122 patients studied (mean age, 55 +/- 9 years; mean LVEF, 61 +/- 6%), 67 (55%) were women, 108 (88%) had hypertension, and 79 (65%) had significant coronary artery disease at catheterization. E/e' was significantly correlated with pre-A (R = 0.63, P < .0001) compared with LAVi (R = 0.49, P < .001) and PAP (R = 0.48, P < .001). E/e' > 13 had sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 93% (area under the curve [AUC], 0.82; P < .0001), LAVi > 31 mL/m2 had sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 76% (AUC, 0.80, P < .001), and PAP > 28 mm Hg had sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 64% for pre-A > 15 mm Hg (AUC, 0.77, P < .001). Adding LAVi >31 mL/m2 for E/e' = 8 to 13 significantly increased the accuracy of E/e' > 13 alone (sensitivity, 87%; specificity, 88%; AUC, 0.89; P = .01 for comparison). However, adding PAP > 28 mm Hg for E/e' = 8 to 13 did not significantly increase the accuracy of E/e' > 13 alone (AUC, 0.82; sensitivity, 82%; specificity, 72%; P = NS for comparison)., Conclusions: In patients with preserved LVEFs, adding LAVi > 31 mL/m2 to E/e' (when E/e' was in the gray zone, but not when E/e' was >13) significantly increased the accuracy of E/e' alone for the estimation of LV filling pressure. These data support the notion of using several, rather than any single, Doppler echocardiographic parameter for the accurate assessment of LV diastolic function., (Copyright 2010 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Echocardiography with Doppler is the most commonly performed non-invasive cardiac imaging test in patients with suspected or documented heart failure (HF), and plays a pivotal role in their assessment and management. Two- and three-dimensional echocardiography are commonly used to quantitatively assess cardiac volumes, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), stroke volume and cardiac output. Resting and stress echocardiography the latter with exercise or pharmacologic stress play a fundamental role in distinguishing ischemic from non-ischemic etiology of HF and in demonstrating myocardial viability. Echocar-diography with comprehensive spectral and color Doppler can accurately determine if valve disease plays a primary or secondary role in HF etiology. Diastolic heart failure (DHF) also termed HF with a preserved LVEF is readily identified by echocardiography with Doppler, and can accurately estimated LV filling pressures and pulmonary artery pressures. The right ventricle can also be readily assessed by echocardiography, with newer techniques such as three-dimensional, tissue Doppler and speckle strain imaging aiding its assessment. Echocardiography is also commonly used to identify candidates for implantable cardiac defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapies. Three-dimensional echocardiography now easily preformed with single-beat full volume capture promises to further refine HF diagnosis. Finally, speckle-based strain and strain rate, and three-dimensional speckle imaging, are more novel techniques that can shed light on detailed myocardial mechanics in patients with depressed or preserved LVEF.

Background: There are a paucity of data comparing spectral and color tissue Doppler (TD) with non-Doppler, speckle-based myocardial velocities, and it is unknown how early transmitral diastolic velocity/mitral annular velocity (E/Ea) calculated using speckle velocities compares with TD-derived E/Ea., Methods: We measured systolic (Sa), Ea, and late diastolic (Aa) myocardial velocities using these 3 methods and compared calculated E/Ea with invasively measured left ventricular (LV) hemodynamics. Consecutive patients referred for cardiac catheterization were imaged, and LV pre-A contraction pressure was measured by retrograde aortic cardiac catheterization., Results: Fifty patients (22 women, 44%) were studied with a mean age of 54 +/- 10 years and a mean LV ejection fraction of 48% +/- 19%. Speckle and color TD Sa, Ea, and Aa were significantly lower than spectral TD velocities, resulting in higher E/Ea values compared with spectral TD E/Ea. Spectral TD E/Ea (R = 0.65, P < .001), color TD E/Ea (R = 0.69, P < .001), and speckle E/Ea (R = 0.76, P < .001) all correlated with LV pre-A pressure. Different cutoff values were needed for spectral TD, color TD, and speckle E/Ea to predict LV pre-A pressure >or= 15 mm Hg; spectral E/Ea > 14 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.87, P < .001, sensitivity = 83%, specificity = 77%), color E/Ea > 16 (AUC = 0.89, P < .0001, sensitivity = 79%, specificity = 81%), and speckle E/Ea > 18 (AUC = 0.87, P < .0001, sensitivity = 88%, specificity = 74%; P = not significant for comparisons between the groups)., Conclusion: Spectral TD, color TD, and speckle imaging measure different velocities, and consequently different cutoff values are needed for E/Ea to predict invasively measured LV filling pressure.

Tissue Doppler indexes of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure are prone to angulation errors and tethering and are less reliable in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction and indeterminate early peak transmitral diastolic flow (E)/mitral early diastolic velocity (Ea) (8 or =8 had higher sensitivity and specificity (95% and 94%, respectively; area under the curve = 0.96, p <0.0001) than E/Ea > or =15 (sensitivity 81%, specificity 75%; area under the curve = 0.85, p <0.0001) for the prediction of LV pre-A pressure > or =15 mm Hg (p = 0.01 for comparison). In patients with LV ejection fraction > or =50% and 8 or =50% or indeterminate E/Ea, both E/Ds and E/10DSr (a ratio based on global DSR) were better predictors of LV filling pressure than E/Ea.

A 62-year-old woman with a history of heart failure, hypertension and stroke presented to hospital with dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed significant left ventricular dysfunction; with contrast-enhanced 2- and 3-dimensional echocardiography, extensive hypetrabeculation of the left ventricular myocardium was visualized, leading to a diagnosis of noncompaction cardiomyopathy. Apical thrombi were excluded with contrast imaging; however, the patient was systemically anticoagulated owing to the presence of noncompaction cardiomyopathy in the setting of prior stroke. This case report demonstrates remarkable imaging of the left ventricular myocardium achieved with contrast-enhanced 3-dimensional echocardiography in the setting of noncompaction cardiomyopathy.

Tissue Doppler imaging is an echocardiographic technique that directly measures myocardial velocities. Diastolic tissue Doppler velocities reflect myocardial relaxation, and in combination with conventional Doppler measurements, ratios (transmitral early diastolic velocity/mitral annular early diastolic velocity [E/Ea]) have been developed to noninvasively estimate left ventricular (LV) filling pressure. Consequently, mitral E/Ea can help to establish the presence of clinical congestive heart failure in patients with dyspnea. However, E/Ea has a significant 'gray zone', and is not well validated in nonsinus rhythm and mitral valve disease. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a protein released by the ventricles in the presence of myocytic stretch, and has been correlated to LV filling pressure and, independently, to other cardiac morphological abnormalities. In addition, BNP is significantly affected by age, sex, renal function and obesity. Given its correlation with multiple cardiac variables, BNP has high sensitivity, but low specificity, for the detection of elevated LV filling pressures. Taking into account the respective strengths and limitations of BNP and mitral E/Ea, algorithms combining them can be used to more accurately estimate LV filling pressures in patients presenting with dyspnea.

Background: Color tissue Doppler (TD) measures mean myocardial velocities, whereas spectral TD measures peak velocities. Given that most data on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function used spectral TD, we investigated whether the differences in myocardial velocities between these modalities resulted in discrepancies in calculated E/Ea., Methods: Patients were imaged using an ultrasound machine. The systolic (Sa), early diastolic (Ea), and late diastolic (Aa) myocardial velocities by color and spectral TD were measured at basal and midsegments of the LV septal, lateral, inferior, and anterior walls in the apical views. The average of basal septal and lateral Ea was combined with the early transmitral diastolic velocity (E) to obtain E/Ea., Results: In all, 31 patients were imaged, with a mean LV ejection fraction of 47.7% +/- 19.9. There were significant correlations between Sa, Ea, and Aa by color and spectral TD at all sites (R = 0.92, P < .001 for Ea at basal lateral wall) and between spectral and color E/Ea (R = 0.85, P < .001). Sa, Ea, and Aa were significantly lower by color TD than by spectral TD (basal septal color Ea = 3.0 +/- 2.0 cm/s vs 5.6 +/- 2.5 cm/s for spectral Ea, P < .001). Consequently, E/Ea by color TD was significantly higher than by spectral TD (22.3 +/- 15.3 vs 13.6 +/- 7.8, P < .001)., Conclusions: Although significant correlations exist, myocardial velocities measured using color TD significantly underestimate velocities by spectral TD. Consequently, E/Ea by color TD significantly overestimates E/Ea using spectral TD, which could lead to errors in assessment of LV diastolic function.

Purpose of Review: Describe the rationale behind, and clinical use of, tissue Doppler (TD) imaging in the assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function, with a focus on recent developments., Recent Findings: Tissue Doppler imaging is a novel echocardiographic technique that directly measures myocardial velocities. Systolic TD measurements assess left and right ventricular myocardial contractile function. Diastolic TD values reflect myocardial relaxation, and in combination with conventional Doppler measurements, ratios (E/Ea) have been developed to estimate LV filling pressures. TD values and derived ratios have been demonstrated to be valuable in the diagnosis of elevated LV filling pressures, clinical congestive heart failure (CHF), and the prognosis of patients with cardiac disease and CHF. New TD indices have now been developed to assess myocardial relaxation and LV filling pressures, and the impact of LV systolic function on the use of TD imaging has recently been described. TD echocardiography is being used in an ever-widening group of patients for the assessment of LV diastolic function, and its correlation to, and comparison with, B-type natriuretic peptide is an active area of current investigation., Summary: This review focuses on new developments in the clinical use of TD echocardiography in the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function.