Value of ventricular stiffness index and ventriculoarterial interaction in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
BACKGROUND
Whether echo-Doppler-derived index of ventricular elastance or ventriculoarterial interaction can reliably reflect circulatory efficiency in various conditions was investigated in the present study and whether they can be helpful in predicting exercise capacity in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).


RESULTS
The 25 patients with DCM, 25 age- and gender-matched hypertensive patients, and 25 marathon runners underwent symptom-limited graded supine bicycle exercise echocardiography after resting echo-Doppler evaluation. Echo-Doppler-derived left ventricular (LV) diastolic elastance index (Ed), ventricular-vascular coupling index (10 x Ea/Ees), based on arterial elastance index (Ea) to LV end-systolic elastance index (Ees), and hemodynamic parameters were measured during rest and exercise. DCM patients had lower Ees, higher Ed and Ea/Ees with blunted exercise responses of Ees than the other groups, and the hypertensive patients had lower Ees and DeltaEes compared with the marathon runners. Resting Ed, Ea/Ees, and total stiffness index (10 x Ed x Ea/Ees) correlated with exercise duration independent of age and gender. A stiffness index of 0.8 could reliably predict impaired exercise capacity.


CONCLUSIONS
Echo-derived elastance is predictive of exercise capacity in patients with DCM.
Her
Ae Young
AY
Yonsei Cardiovascular Center, Seoul, South Korea.
Kim
Jong-Youn
JY
Choi
Eui-Young
EY
Kim
Sung-Ai
SA
Jae
Rhee Sang
RS
Shim
Chi Young
CY
Kang
Seok-Min
SM
Ha
Jong-Won
JW
Chung
Namsik
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001642:Bicycling; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004548:Elasticity; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D015588:Observer Variation; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012420:Running; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left