Effect of heart rate on tissue Doppler measures of diastolic function.
BACKGROUND
Our aim was to study the independent effect of heart rate (HR) on parameters of diastolic function, particularly mitral annular velocities measured by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), an effect which is not well understood.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with dual chamber pacemakers attending for routine pacemaker review underwent detailed echocardiographic assessment during atrial pacing with intact atrioventricular conduction at baseline and accelerated HRs. Mitral inflow and annular tissue Doppler velocities and systolic strain parameters were compared.


RESULTS
Parameters of systolic function were unaffected by increased HR. When these parameters were compared at baseline (mean 67 bpm) and accelerated HR (mean 80 bpm), the following was observed: a significant decrease in early mitral inflow (E) wave (70.5 +/- 5.5 cm/s vs 63.5 +/- 4.9 cm/s, P < 0.02) and early mitral annular (E') velocities (7.0 +/- 0.5 cm/s vs 6.3 +/- 0.6 cm/s, P < 0.003) and a significant increase in mitral inflow A wave (70.3 +/- 4.5 cm/s vs 77.3 +/- 4.4 cm/s, P < 0.05) and late mitral annular (A') velocities (9.3 +/- 0.6 cm/s vs 10.8 +/- 0.5, P < 0.00004).


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in HR have previously unrecognized significant effects on tissue Doppler parameters of diastolic function. Further study is required to determine if tissue Doppler derived annular velocities should be corrected for HR.
Burns
Andrew T
AT
Cardiac Investigation Unit, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. andrew.burns@svhm.org.au
Connelly
Kim A
KA
La Gerche
Andre
A
Mooney
Donald J
DJ
Chan
Justin
J
MacIsaac
Andrew I
AI
Prior
David L
DL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D016276:Ventricular Function; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*