title: Utility of tissue Doppler imaging to predict exercise capacity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: comparison with B-type natriuretic peptide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent reports suggest that left ventricular diastolic function assessed by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels can relate to functional status in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, it is unclear which is more useful to predict the exercise capacity in HCM patients without systolic impairment and/or atrial fibrillation, TDI or BNP levels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study directly compared the clinical relevance of assessing diastolic function using TDI and measuring the plasma BNP level in patients with HCM.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated diastolic function using TDI as well as plasma BNP levels in 31 patients (52.2+/-16.9 years of age; 20 males) with HCM and examined the relationship of these values to exercise capacity (peak O(2) consumption (VO(2))) measured by cardiopulmonary exercise tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average peak VO(2) was 18.5+/-4.7 ml/(kg min). Although the E/A ratio by transmitral flow was not correlated with peak VO(2), the lateral E/E(a) ratio assessed by TDI was significantly correlated with peak VO(2) (r=-0.52, p=0.003). On the other hand, plasma BNP level was not significantly related to peak VO(2) but NYHA class.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment of diastolic function using TDI, not plasma BNP levels, is more useful for predicting objective exercise capacity in HCM patients without systolic impairment and/or atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Kochi Medical School, Kochi, Japan. kitaokah@kochi-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitaoka
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayato
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Yoshinori L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Doi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain