[Usefulness of right ventricular Doppler index for predicting outcome in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy].
OBJECTIVE
Left ventricular Doppler index (LVDI) is believed to be a useful echocardiographic index of systolic and diastolic ventricular function. However, the usefulness of right ventricular Doppler index (RVDI) remains uncertain, especially in dilated cardiomyopathy. The predictive value of RVDI for estimating long-term cardiac events, including cardiac death, was investigated.


METHODS
Fifty-nine consecutive patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (41 males and 18 females, mean age 52 +/- 15 years) were enrolled in this follow-up study. RVDI and LVDI were calculated as follows: DI = (isovolumic contraction time + isovolumic relaxation time)/ejection time.


RESULTS
During a follow-up period of 3.7 +/- 3.0 years, 27 (46%) of the patients exhibited cardiac events, including cardiac death (n = 9), heart failure (n = 16) and tachyarrhythmias (n = 2) requiring in-hospital treatment. Patients with these cardiac events had higher LVDI and RVDI at the initial follow-up examination, and RVDI had a significant linear correlation with LVDI (LVDI = 0.550 + 0.452 x RVDI, r = 0.530, p = 0.0001). The 6-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients with both LVDI > or = 0.78 and RVDI > or = 0.49 than in other patients (50% vs 75%, respectively, p = 0.009). Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that RVDI > or = 0.49 was the independent predictor of cardiac events (p = 0.0153) and cardiac death (p = 0.0003).


CONCLUSIONS
RVDI is clinically useful for estimating the outcome of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0061.
R
R
Ikeda
S
S
Yuda
N
N
Kobayashi
N
N
Nakahara
T
T
Nakata
K
K
Tsuchihashi
K
K
Shimamoto
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016276:Ventricular Function; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right