[Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function in hypertensive patients under different hemodynamic conditions:

Luiz Cláudio Danzmann1, Valéria Centeno de Freitas, Luiz Felipe Araújo

  • 1Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Insights

In hypertensive patients, left ventricular diastolic function assessed by tissue Doppler (E/E' ratio) showed less change than mitral flow velocities (E) during preload increase. This suggests E' is a more stable measure for evaluating diastolic function.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Echocardiography
  • Diastolic Function

Background:

  • Systemic arterial hypertension can lead to left ventricular (LV) adaptations.
  • Assessing LV diastolic function is crucial in hypertensive patients.
  • Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) provides insights into myocardial velocities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate LV diastolic displacement velocities (E') near the mitral ring using TDI.
  • To compare E' with mitral flow velocities (E) during preload changes in hypertensive subjects.
  • To assess the impact of preload increase maneuvers on diastolic function indices.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty-five hypertensive outpatients underwent echocardiography.
  • Measurements included transmitral flow (E, A, E/A) and TDI (E', A', E'/A') variables.
  • Preload was increased via passive leg elevation and handgrip exercise.

Main Results:

  • Mitral flow velocity (E) significantly increased with preload (p<0.05).
  • Tissue Doppler velocity (E') showed minimal change with preload.
  • The percentage change in E was significantly greater than E' during preload increase (p=0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Hypertensive patients with LV adaptation exhibit preserved E' response to preload.
  • E' is less affected by preload variations compared to E in this population.
  • E' may be a more reliable index for echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic function in hypertension.
Abstract