title: Left ventricular longitudinal relaxation velocity: a sensitive index of diastolic function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate maximal longitudinal relaxation velocity of the left ventricle as an index of diastolic function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four consecutive patients with known or suspected heart failure, referred to echocardiography, were investigated by M-mode recordings and pulsed tissue Doppler recordings of the maximal early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus. The classification as true positive or true negative cases was done using age-related reference values of mitral inflow and pulmonary vein flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A rather high sensitivity of 89% was found for M-mode recordings and a slightly lower sensitivity of 81% for pulsed tissue Doppler recordings. A moderate high specificity was found: 81% for M-mode recordings and 78% for tissue Doppler recordings. The velocities recorded by pulsed tissue Doppler were about 30% higher than velocities recorded by M-mode.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maximal relaxation velocity in the long axis of the left ventricle, recorded by either M-mode or tissue Doppler, can be used for assessment of diastolic function but reference values cannot be used interchangeably.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Borås Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ylva
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fornander
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Rigmor
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Egerlid
authors.forename: Birger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wandt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016276:Ventricular Function; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology