Electrical and hemodynamic correlates of the maximal rate of pressure increase in the human left ventricle.
BACKGROUND
The rate of left ventricular (LV) pressure increase (LV + dP/dt) may be related to QRS duration, as well as to a number of hemodynamic parameters.


RESULTS
We studied the relation between basal LV + dP/dt and QRS duration in 43 patients with normal LV function and 81 patients with heart failure undergoing diagnostic catheterization. We also examined the relationship between LV + dP/dt and heart rate, as well as measures of both LV preload and afterload. In patients with normal LV function, there was a strong relationship between basal LV + dP/dt and resting heart rate, whereas the relationship with QRS duration was of borderline significance. In patients with heart failure, the relationship with heart rate was lost; however, LV systolic pressure, QRS duration, and LV end-diastolic pressure all made significant contributions to a model predicting LV + dP/dt.


CONCLUSIONS
These data show a strong relationship between resting heart rate and LV + dP/dt in the healthy human LV. In patients with heart failure, the relationship with heart rate is not maintained; however, there is a systematic relationship between LV + dP/dt and both the time-course of the electrical activation and measures of LV loading conditions.
Fried
A G
AG
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Parker
A B
AB
Newton
G E
GE
Parker
J D
JD
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000502:physiology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*