Left ventricular diastolic function in hemodialysis patients: role of preload increase maneuver on tissue Doppler...

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has recently been proposed as a relatively preload-independent method to evaluate left ventricular diastolic function. We sought to investigate the higher-accuracy of TDI to assess diastolic function in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis (HD) associated with a preload increase maneuver.

Thirty-two consecutiveESRD patients (16 female, ages 48.8 +/- 17.5 years, 14 45 years old) were evaluated. Measurements of E, A velocities and the E/A ratio from transmitral inflow pulsed wave Doppler, and E', A' velocities and the E'/A' ratio from TDI were obtained 1 h before and 1 h after HD at baseline and with a preload increase maneuver.

The E/A ratio changed significantly in all patients aged >45 before and after HD with the preload increase maneuver. The E'/A' ratio increased in all subjects with the preload increase maneuver before HD but did not change with the maneuver after HD in the euvolemic state in all patients.

In ESRD patients on routine HD, TDI evaluation associated with a preload increase maneuver proved to be a more accurate method to identify diastolic dysfunction when the evaluation is performed in euvolemic patients after HD.