Characteristics of myocardial deformation and rotation in subjects with diastolic dysfunction without diastolic heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
There have been very few pathophysiologic studies on isolated diastolic dysfunction. We hypothesized that the characteristics of isolated diastolic dysfunction would be located, on the clinical continuum, between those of a normal heart and diastolic heart failure.


METHODS
We enrolled 102 subjects who had no history of overt symptoms of heart failure and who had a left ventricular ejection fraction of more than 50%. They were examined for myocardial deformation and rotation using the two-dimensional speckle tracking image (2D-STI) technique.


RESULTS
The circumferential strains and radial strain at the apical level (RS(apex)) were related to the ratio of the transmitral early peak velocity over the early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (E/E'). After adjustment for age, the RS(apex) showed a positive relationship with the E/E' ratio; whereas, the circumferential strains did not. Instead, the circumferential strains demonstrated a significant correlation with age. Basal rotation and left ventricular (LV) torsion were also related to age, but had no relationship with the E/E' ratio. However, as the E/E' ratio value increased, systolic mitral annular velocity decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
Except for the RS(apex), LV myocardial deformation and rotation did not vary with the degree of E/E' ratio elevation when there was no associated diastolic heart failure. Additionally, in clinical situations such as isolated diastolic dysfunction, the advancement of age has a relatively greater influence on characteristics of LV myocardial deformation and rotation rather than on the E/E' ratio.
Jang
Hee Sang
HS
Department of Cardiology, Fatima General Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
Kim
Jae Hoon
JH
Bae
Byung Seok
BS
Shin
Seung Min
SM
Kim
Ki Ju
KJ
Park
Jung Gil
JG
Kang
Hyun Jae
HJ
Lee
Bong Ryeol
BR
Jung
Byung Chun
BC