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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats
Published on: December 13, 2019
Frequency of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction by mitral doppler in healthy elderly individuals
Luiz Sérgio Alves-Silva1, Edmundo José Nassri Câmara, Carlos Alfredo Marcílio de Souza
1Hospital Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brasil. lsergio@cardiol.br
Background:
Healthy elderly individuals present alterations in mitral Doppler velocities, which are characteristic of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction with impaired relaxation.
Objective:
To determine the frequency of LV diastolic dysfunction by mitral Doppler in healthy elderly individuals and identify clinical and echocardiographic characteristics associated to this finding.
Methods:
Seventy-three apparently healthy individuals (64% women, aged 60 to 80) were carefully selected and submitted to clinical, laboratory and Doppler-echocardiographic assessment, with particular regard to the characteristics of the mitral flow.
Results:
A total of 33 patients (45%) presented an impaired LV relaxation pattern (group I), characterized by the association between the maximum velocities of the mitral wave flow (E/A ratio) <0.75 or E-wave deceleration time >240 ms, and 40 (55%) with a normal pattern (group II). Group I presented a larger aortic root diameter (32.1 + or - 4.2 vs 30.3 + or - 3.3 mm; p = 0.044) and a longer PR interval (156 + or - 22 vs 139 + or - 23 ms; p = 0.002).
Conclusion:
A large proportion of individuals aged 60 to 80 years present normal diastolic function at the Doppler-echocardiographic assessment of the mitral flow. Healthy elderly individuals with impaired LV relaxation filling have a larger aortic root diameter and longer PR interval.
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