title: Age- and gender-specific changes of tricuspid annular motion velocities in normal hearts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mitral annular motion (MAM) and tricuspid annular motion (TAM) velocities obtained by pulsed tissue Doppler echocardiography have been used to evaluate left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) functions. Although TAM velocity has been clinically applied for evaluating various cardiac diseases, the effects of age and gender remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of age and gender on TAM velocity in normal hearts.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly selected 265 subjects (mean age, 59 years; range, 20-89 years) without abnormal clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic findings from a pool of subjects who had undergone transthoracic echocardiography. They were classified into four age groups: 20-39, 40-59, 60-79, and >80 years. Pulsed wave Doppler was applied to obtain MAM velocity of the lateral side and TAM velocity of the RV free wall side. The peak systolic (s'), early diastolic (e'), and atrial systolic (a') velocities of MAM and TAM were measured in all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While MAM-s' (r=-0.267, p<0.001) correlated with age, TAM-s' did not (p=0.755). TAM-s' in any age groups had no significant gender differences. TAM-e' (r=-0.447, p<0.001) and MAM-e' (r=-0.724, p<0.001) correlated with age, respectively. In those aged 40-59 years, both TAM-e' (p=0.002) and MAM-e' (p=0.048) in females were significantly higher than those in males. The gender differences diminished in the ≥60 years age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no age-associated decline in TAM-s', while TAM-e' varied with age and gender as did MAM-e'. Although the same criteria for the TAM-s' can be used for identifying abnormal RV systolic function regardless of age and gender, age and gender differences must be considered when one utilizes the TAM-e' for the diagnosis or management of cardiovascular disease.
authors: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Hayashi
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan. Electronic address: yamadah@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors: Hirotsugu
authors: H
authors: Yamada
authors: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Nishio
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Junko
authors: J
authors: Hotchi
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Mika
authors: M
authors: Bando
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Yuriko
authors: Y
authors: Takagawa
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Yoshihito
authors: Y
authors: Saijo
authors: Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Yukina
authors: Y
authors: Hirata
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Masataka
authors: M
authors: Sata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000502:physiology*; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000502:physiology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aging; Gender; Mitral annular motion; Tissue Doppler echocardiography; Tricuspid annular motion