title: Effects of levosimendan on left ventricular functional remodelling and exercise intolerance: a tissue Doppler study.
abstract: Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer that demonstrates enhanced myocardial contractility. There is little information concerning the effect of levosimendan on left ventricular tissue parameters and exercise capacity. We evaluated the effects of a 24-h course of levosimendan therapy on cardiac tissue parameters in 30 patients, aged 48 - 70 years, admitted to our hospital for the management of decompensated heart failure. All patients underwent echocardiographic examination using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and a 6-min walk test. Systolic myocardial velocity of the mitral annulus (Sm) was significantly increased in levosimendan-treated patients compared with placebo-treated patients. There was a positive correlation between Sm and exercise capacity. Levosimendan might be expected to increase cardiac contractile force, especially Sm velocity, in parallel with exercise tolerance. The study has also shown that the progress of ventricular function after levosimendan treatment in patients with exercise intolerance could be monitored effectively by Sm velocity measurements using TDI.
authors.affiliation: Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular Surgery Centre, Istanbul, Turkey. hulyakasikcioglu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kasikcioglu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tartan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uyarel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okmen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kasikcioglu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003935:Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D015444:Exercise; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077464:Simendan; D013997:Time Factors; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000188:drug therapy; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects*; D016138:Walking
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006835:Hydrazones; D011724:Pyridazines; D000077464:Simendan; D002118:Calcium