Mitral and tricuspid annular velocities determined by Doppler tissue imaging in hypopituitary, growth hormone-deficient patients.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study is to determine systolic and diastolic velocity profiles of the left and right ventricles by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and to reveal the associations between TDI parameters and early atherosclerotic changes in adult hypopituitary patients with GH deficiency.


METHODS
The study group is composed of 16 hypopituitary, GH-deficient patients and 13 healthy controls. All patients had been receiving adequate substitution therapy other than GH at stable doses for at least 6 months. Conventional Doppler echocardiography and TDI of the mitral and tricuspid annulus were performed. Intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery was calculated.


RESULTS
IMT was significantly higher in the hypopituitary group compared with controls (0.83 +/- 0.25 vs. 0.51 +/- 0.14 mm, p < 0.001). Hypopituitary patients had significantly lower peak early diastolic (Em) mitral annular velocity (11.2 +/- 3.0 vs. 13.9 +/- 2.8 cm/s, p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that age was the only independent variable significantly associated with Em and IMT in the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Diastolic abnormalities on TDI of the mitral annulus and early atherosclerotic changes occur concurrently in asymptomatic hypopituitary patients with GH deficiency. Aging may have a more deleterious effect on ventricular function and atherogenesis in this group of patients.
Yurci
Alper
A
Department of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Oflaz
Huseyin
H
Meric
Mehmet
M
Ozbey
Nese
N
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013599:Systole; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
D019382:Human Growth Hormone