Aging and transmitral flow pattern in patients with systemic hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
Currently, the transmitral flow (TMF) pattern is routinely recorded as the first step in the assessment of left ventricular diastolic function. In young, healthy subjects, it is known that the early diastolic flow (E wave) of TMF is larger than the late diastolic flow (A wave). The E/A ratio then gradually decreases with age. This change in the pattern of TMF can be expected to occur earlier in patients with systemic hypertension than in healthy subjects. However, data pertaining to this matter are limited for Japanese patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changing pattern of TMF with age in Japanese patients with systemic hypertension.


METHODS
A database of echocardiographic examination reports was surveyed. A total of 553 patients with systemic hypertension (HT group) and 394 patients without hypertension or organic heart disease (control group) were included in this study. The patients were subdivided according to age, after which the E/A ratio was compared for different patient categories and age groups.


RESULTS
The E/A ratio gradually decreased with age in the control group, and the mean value of E/A was <1 in the sixth decade. On the other hand, the E/A ratio rapidly decreased and was <1 in the fifth decade in the HT group.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients in the HT group, the E/A ratio decreased about a decade earlier compared with patients in the control group.
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yamaguchi University Hospital, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan.
Yukari
Y
Kishida
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yamaguchi University Hospital, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan. nktanaka@ymghp.jp.|Medical Ultrasound Center, Yamaguchi University Hospital, Ube, Japan. nktanaka@ymghp.jp.
Nobuaki
N
Tanaka
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yamaguchi University Hospital, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan.
Tomoko
T
Ezumi
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
Yasuyuki
Y
Hadano
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
Eizo
E
Akagawa
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
Ryo
R
Hashimoto
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
Hideki
H
Kunichika
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.|Medical Ultrasound Center, Yamaguchi University Hospital, Ube, Japan.
Kazuya
K
Murata
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yamaguchi University Hospital, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan.|Medical Ultrasound Center, Yamaguchi University Hospital, Ube, Japan.
Yuji
Y
Hinoda
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
Masunori
M
Matsuzaki
Doppler echocardiography; aging; hypertension; transmitral flow