title: The role of left ventricular long-axis contraction in patients with asymptomatic aortic regurgitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to investigate the role of long axis contraction in patients with asymptomatic chronic aorta regurgitation (AR).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 84 consecutive patients (48 men, mean age 55.5 +/- 13.5 years) tissue Doppler imaging was performed. During catheterization, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and end-diastolic wall stress (EDWS) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The best predictor for group membership (exercise ejection fraction increase > or < of 5%) is the systolic wave maximal velocity (Sv) at the lateral mitral annulus (9 cm/s). Patients with Sv > 9 cm/s (45 patients) formed group I, while 39 patients with Sv < 9 cm/s formed group II. LVEDP and EDWS were higher in group II (15.5 +/- 1.9 mm Hg and 214.8 +/- 233.3 g/cm2) than in group I (10.3 +/- 1.7 mmHg and 111.8 +/- 40.8 g/cm2), P = .0001 and P = .01, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with asymptomatic AR, the estimation of left ventricular long axis contraction at rest, can unmask a subnormal left ventricular functional status.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Attiko General Hospital, Medical University, Athens, Greece. iparas@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Ioannis A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Paraskevaidis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsiapras
authors.forename: Stamatis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyrzopoulos
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cokkinos
authors.forename: Efstathios K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Iliodromitis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parissis
authors.forename: Dimitrios T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Kremastinos
mesh_terms: D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology