Quantitative analysis of semi-supine exercise echocardiography--influence of age on myocardial Doppler imaging indices.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of quantitative analysis of exercise echocardiography using pulsed wave Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI) and to examine the relation between age and DMI parameters at rest and during graded exercise in normal subjects.


RESULTS
Seventy-two healthy volunteers were divided into three age groups (group I, age < or = 40 years, group II, age 41 - 59 years and group III, age > or = 60 years), and underwent a semi-supine exercise echocardiogram. Peak systolic velocity (SV), time to peak SV (TPV), systolic velocity time integral (VTI) and peak diastolic velocities (VE and VA) were measured off-line. There was a heterogeneity in DMI parameters between different myocardial walls and a gradient was found between basal and mid segments. Both persisted during exercise. Group I had significantly higher TPV than groups II and III. Increase in workload was accompanied by an increase in velocities, while TPV decreased. Differences between groups persisted throughout exercise.


CONCLUSIONS
Off-line measurements of DMI parameters are feasible during exercise. SV and E decline as age increases while A increases. SV already increases at low charge exercise and may serve as a quantitative marker for the detection of myocardial viability. Change of the absolute DMI velocity values during exercise may provide a better indicator of ischaemia or viability than the absolute values themselves.
Petropoulou
Evdokia
E
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Liège, Belgium.
Lancellotti
Patrizio
P
Piérard
Luc A
LA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D016683:Supine Position / Q000502:physiology*; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology