Assessment of posterior aortic wall motion using echocardiogram in patients with atrial fibrillation.
OBJECTIVE
Noninvasive evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function was performed on 12 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using posterior aortic wall echocardiogram and a parameter for determining the optimal heart rate in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation was considered.


METHODS
Subjects were divided into two groups; one with no underlying cardiac disease (AF only group; n = 7) and the other with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM group; n = 5). Left atrial emptying index (LAEI) obtained from the posterior aortic wall echocardiogram was used as the parameter of LV diastolic function, and R-R interval-LAEI relation and minimum R-R interval showing LAEI = 1.0 were investigated and compared between the two groups.


RESULTS
There was a good correlation between R-R interval and LAEI until LAEI of 1.0 was obtained in all patients. Slope of the regression line was significantly steeper in the AF only group than in the DCM group, and minimum R-R interval showing LAEI = 1.0 was significantly shorter in the AF only group.


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment of R-R interval-LAEI relation was useful for the noninvasive evaluation of LV diastolic function, and this parameter could be used for clinical application to determine the optimal heart rate in atrial fibrillation.
Nobuoka
S
S
Second Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University, School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
Hatano
S
S
Yoshida
A
A
Nagashima
J
J
Noda
K
K
Takada
H
H
Miyake
F
F
Murayama
M
M
D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016279:Atrial Function, Left; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D010701:Phonocardiography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left