[Reduced left ventricular systolic atrioventricular plane displacement in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether patients with suspected heart failure but preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) have systolic dysfunction in left ventricular long axis detected by left ventricular systolic atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD).


METHODS
The data of 96 patients with heart failure who admitted to our hospital between August 2007 and October 2008 were collected. Heart failure with preserved LVEF was diagnosed in 48 patients and heart failure with reduced LVEF was diagnosed in another 48 patients. Fifty age-matched healthy subjects served as the control group. The NYHA classification, etiology of heart failure, AVPD and plasma NT-proBNP concentration were compared among the 3 groups.


RESULTS
There was no difference in terms of NYHA classification between patients with preserved LVEF and reduced LVEF. Hypertension and coronary heart disease were often diagnosed in heart failure patients with preserved LVEF. The degree of AVPD decrease was more significant in heart failure patients with reduced LVEF than those with preserved LVEF. In all subjects, the AVPD was negatively correlated with the NT-proBNP concentration (r = -0.35, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Left ventricular systolic atrioventricular plane displacement was decreased in heart failure patients with preserved LVEF, therefore, besides "diastolic heart failure", systolic dysfunction was also impaired in these patients.
Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China.
Yong-Qiang
YQ
Ren
Wei
W
Feng
Li
L
Liu
Wei
W
Xia
Xiu-Fen
XF
Qu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D013318:Stroke Volume; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult