Assessment of left ventricular systolic function by echocardiography.
Echocardiography serves an extremely important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with heart failure. The various stages of structural and functional changes that constitute progressive left ventricle remodeling have all been characterized by two-dimensional echocardiography. In addition, echocardiography has defined the transition from compensated hypertrophy to left ventricle dilatation and progression to end-stage heart failure. Echocardiography has also played an important role in clinical heart failure trials of beta-adrenergic blocking agents and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers and demonstrated their efficacy in heart failure.
St John Sutton
Martin G
MG
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Plappert
Ted
T
Rahmouni
Hind
H
D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013599:Systole; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling