Relation of myocardial blood volume to left ventricular function and future cardiac events in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
BACKGROUND
The hypothesis that myocardial blood volume is associated with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and future cardiovascular events in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) was tested using intravenous myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE).


RESULTS
Thirty-five patients with IDC and 10 age-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled. Using MCE, background-subtracted and peak myocardial contrast intensity (calibrated PMCI) were calculated as measures of myocardial blood volume. LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated using the modified Simpson method. Patients with IDC were stratified into 2 groups according to the median value of the calibrated PMCI [high value group (n=17): calibrated PMCI > or = -22.7 dB, low value group (n=18): calibrated PMCI < -22.7 dB]. The calibrated PMCI was markedly reduced in patients with IDC compared with the control subjects (p=0.0025) and closely related to LVEF (r=0.688, p<0.0001). In the multivariate model, calibrated PMCI was the independent variable that predicted cardiac events in patients with IDC. According to the Kaplan-Meier analysis, cardiac event-free rates were significantly lower in the low-value group than in the high-value group (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Myocardial blood volume is closely related to LV dysfunction and future cardiac events in patients with IDC.
Inoue
Katsuji
K
The Second Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan. katsuji@m.ehime-u.ac.jp
Hamada
Mareomi
M
Ohtsuka
Tomoaki
T
Higaki
Jitsuo
J
D001810:Blood Volume; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes