title: Aortic upper wall tissue Doppler image velocity: relation to aortic elasticity and left ventricular diastolic function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic stiffening contributes to the left ventricular (LV) afterload, hypertrophy, and substrate for diastolic dysfunction. It is also known that aortic elastic properties could be investigated with color tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in aortic upper wall. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation of aortic upper wall TDI and aortic stiffness and other parameters of LV diastolic function.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined aortic upper wall by TDI at the 3 cm above the aortic valves because of patient's chest discomfort or dyspnea. We excluded the patient with arterial hypertension or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) or significant valvular heart disease. So a total of 126 (mean age 53.8 +/- 13.9 years, male 49.2%) patients were enrolled in this study and divided normal LV filling group (N = 31) and abnormal LV filling group (N = 95).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aortic upper wall early systolic velocity and late diastolic velocity were not different between the two groups. Only aortic upper wall early diastolic velocity (AWEDV) was related to aortic stiffness index (r =-0.25, P = 0.008), distensibility (r = 0.28, P = 0.003), early diastolic (Em) (r = 0.45, P = 0.001), E/Em (r =-0.26, P = 0.003), and significantly reduced in abnormal LV filling group (6.19 +/- 2.50 vs 8.18 +/- 2.87, P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AWEDV is decreased significantly in abnormal LV filling patients. It is statistically related to aortic stiffness, distensibility and parameters of abnormal LV filling, Em, E/Em. TDI velocity of the aortic upper wall can be a helpful tool for evaluating aortic stiffness, distensibility, and diastolic function.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Konkuk University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Eung Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheol Ung
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Sung Hea
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sang Man
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kyu Hyung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Chang Gyu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hong Seog
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Dong Joo
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*