title: The effect of age on right ventricular diastolic function in healthy subjects undergoing treadmill exercise test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is an increasing interest for the value of right ventricle (RV) in predicting exercise tolerance and prognosis in cardiovascular disease. However, there is relatively few data evaluating the effect of age on RV diastolic filling velocities during rest or exercise in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 54 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their age: Group 1 (≤45-years-old) and Group 2 (>45-years-old). A treadmill exercise test was performed using modified Bruce protocol. Conventional pulsed-wave Doppler and tissue Doppler velocities were obtained both at rest and immediately after the end of exercise, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the overall analysis, tricuspid flow Doppler analysis showed a significant increase in A-wave velocity, less marked rise in E-wave velocity, decreased E/A ratio and decreased E-wave deceleration time (EDT) with exercise. Tissue Doppler analysis revealed increased Aa velocity, decreased in Ea/Aa ratio and IVRT. No significant change was observed in Ea velocity and E/Ea ratio with exercise. Although diastolic velocities changed significantly with exercise, systolic velocities did not. Cardiac response to exercise differed slightly in the older subjects compared to younger ones. The older subjects were more likely to have a reduced mean rate of RV filling for the second half of diastole from baseline to peak exercise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To distinguish normal physiological changes due to aging from those of pathologic conditions may provide benefits while evaluating patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yalcinkaya
authors.forename: Uygar Cagdas
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Yuksel
authors.forename: Yalcin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gokoglan
authors.forename: Baris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bugan
authors.forename: Hasan Kutsi
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kabul
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barcin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Doppler tissue imaging; aging; healthy subjects; pulsed-wave Doppler; right ventricle; treadmill exercise test