Echocardiographic indices of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in 647 individuals with preserved left ventricular systolic function.
BACKGROUND
Knowledge about the occurrence of isolated diastolic dysfunction (DD) in the general population is limited.


OBJECTIVE
This population study was performed to assess the frequency and distribution pattern of echocardiographic indices of left ventricular (LV) DD in an elderly population aged 50-89 years in which LV systolic function is preserved.


RESULTS
The study population (n=764) recruited from the background population answered a heart failure questionnaire and underwent echocardiography. Excluding subjects with a LV ejection fraction <50% or atrial fibrillation, diastolic function was evaluated in 647 subjects. The frequency of impaired relaxation according to earlier guidelines was 0.5%, vs. 2.5% using age- and gender-specific normal values of 'E/A-ratio' and 'deceleration time'. In a subpopulation of 167 participants, 6.6% had 'pseudonormalisation'. No difference was found in the frequency of dyspnea in subjects with impaired relaxation or 'pseudonormalisation' compared to subjects with normal filling pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of LV impaired relaxation was highly dependent on the choice of normal (cut-off) values for Doppler indices. Furthermore, our findings suggest that either isolated DD is often asymptomatic, or that Doppler flow derived parameters as a diagnostic method for assessing DD have a low specificity when used as a screening tool in the general population.
Pedersen
Frants
F
Department of Cardiology and Endocrinology, Frederiksberg University Hospital, Nordre Fasanvej 57, DK-2000 Frederiksberg-Copenhagen, Denmark. frants@dadlnet.dk
Raymond
Ilan
I
Madsen
Lene H
LH
Mehlsen
Jesper
J
Atar
Dan
D
Hildebrandt
Per
P
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*