The use of Doppler and atrioventricular plane motion echocardiography for the detection of changes in left...

In this study we compared the efficacy of Doppler and atrioventricular plane motion echocardiography in detecting the changes in left ventricular function caused by moderate-intensity training. Fifty-nine healthy men and women (aged 40-68 years) were divided into either a group of walkers (n = 32) or controls (n = 27). Pre-intervention, there were no significant differences between the groups for gender, age, height, mass or predicted maximal oxygen consumption. The walkers completed a progressive 18-week walking programme that resulted in an estimated mean gross energy expenditure whilst walking of 4.0 (1.3) MJ x week(-1) for the duration of the study, and 5.9 (1.7) MJ x week(-1) during the final 6 weeks. After the 18-week programme there were no significant changes in Doppler measures of early or late filling velocities. However, the walkers showed an increase in the velocity of relaxation (1.2 cm x s(-1)) (P < 0.02) of the left free wall, as measured using atrioventricular plane motion echocardiography, while the controls showed no significant changes. The findings suggest that atrioventricular plane motion echocardiography is more sensitive than Doppler echocardiography in detecting the left ventricular changes caused by exercise intervention.