title: Left ventricular dyskinesia reversed by intravenous nitroglycerin: a manifestation of silent myocardial ischemia.
abstract: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) frequently have left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities in the absence of symptoms. Thirty-one patients with such LV wall motion abnormalities in the absence of symptoms participated in a study of the response of these abnormalities to ascending doses of intravenous nitroglycerin (NTG). In a subgroup of 20 patients the relation between the location of LV wall motion abnormalities and the presence or absence of significant CAD (greater than or equal to 50% diameter reduction), in the vessel supplying the LV region, was assessed. Wall motion improved after intravenous NTG; the ejection fraction increased by 3.7% (mean p less than 0.05) and by 9.4% in the 19 patients who responded. There was no significant increase in heart rate; both LV systolic and end-diastolic pressures decreased minimally (12.5 and 3.5 mm Hg, respectively, p less than 0.05). The ejection fraction response was observed with NTG doses less than or equal to 200 micrograms and no dose-response relation was apparent. In the subgroup subjected to regional wall motion analysis, the presence of dyskinesia was significantly (p = 0.007) associated with the presence of important CAD in a vessel supplying that region. Further, the fact that wall motion improvement after NTG was significantly (p = 0.002) associated supports the concept that silent ischemia results in LV regional wall motion abnormalities, which can be reversed with low dose intravenous NTG.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005996:Nitroglycerin