[Segmental left ventricular function in patients with syndrome X]

Impulse tissue Doppler study of the left ventricle was carried out in 44 patients with cardiac syndrome X (age 47.15+/-6.27 years) and 46 healthy volunteers aged 35-55 years. Maximal peak velocities "s", "e", "a", "e/a" ratio and segmental isovolumic relaxation time "ivrt" were evaluated for each of 18 selected left ventricular segments. Criteria of disturbed segmental diastolic left ventricular function were e/a ratio <1.0 and ivrt >85 ms. Left ventricular filling was abnormal (E/A (min) <1.0) in 18 (40.9%) patients all of whom had segments with e/a <1.0. According to e/a values 18 of 26 patients (69,23%) with E/A (min) >1.0 had segmental dysfunction while 8 patients (30,77%) had intact segmental diastolic function. Patients with and without segmental diastolic dysfunction had different exercise tolerance, nocturnal blood pressure fall, blood levels of glucose and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Patients with abnormal (IVRT >90 ms) and normal (IVRT 40-80 ms) left ventricular relaxation had similar numbers of dysfunctional segments. Patients with IVRT 80-40 ms and with (n=21) or without (n=4) disturbances of segmental relaxation had different age, left ventricular myocardial mass index and magnitude of myocardial hypoperfusion.