The impact of aging on left ventricular longitudinal function in healthy subjects: a pulsed tissue Doppler study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of age on average values of pulsed tissue Doppler recorded at the septal and lateral mitral annulus in a population of healthy subjects and to propose reference values according to different age decades.


RESULTS
Two hundred and forty-six healthy subjects (M/F = 160/86, mean age 40.9 years) underwent Doppler-echocardiography and pulsed tissue Doppler of the septal and lateral mitral annulus. S(m), E(m), A(m) peak velocities were measured at both the annular sides and average values obtained. The ratio of transmitral E peak velocity and average E(m) peak velocity (lateral E(m) + septal E(m)/2) was calculated as an index of left ventricular filling pressure. The population was divided into seven age decades: 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 years and >70 years. E(m) was progressively reduced and A(m) increased with increasing age at both the annular sides as well as average values. S(m) reduction with advancing age was significant only at the lateral mitral annulus and as average values. Average E/E(m) ratio was particularly higher in the last three age decades. By multilinear regression analyses, age was the main independent predictor of average E(m), A(m) and E/E(m) ratio, while heart rate was the most important contributor to average S(m), with the additional contribution of age.


CONCLUSIONS
Aging shows an independent impact on average tissue Doppler indexes of septal and lateral mitral annulus in normal subjects. Our data also provide reference values of tissue Doppler average variables for age decades.
Innelli
Pasquale
P
Division of Cardioangiology with CCU, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University Hospital, Block 1, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Sanchez
Ruben
R
Marra
Francesco
F
Esposito
Roberta
R
Galderisi
Maurizio
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left