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Murine Echocardiography of Left Atrium, Aorta, and Pulmonary Artery
Published on: February 20, 2017
Cardiac structure and function in persons 85 years of age
David Leibowitz1, Irit Stessman-Lande, Jeremy Jacobs
1Heart Institute, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. oleibo@hadassah.org.il
The American Journal of Cardiology
|May 24, 2011
Summary
Eighty-five-year-olds show enlarged left atria, higher left ventricular mass, and impaired diastolic function, even without known heart disease. These findings highlight common cardiac changes in the elderly.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Geriatrics
- Echocardiography
Background:
- The population aged over 85 is rapidly growing globally.
- Limited normative data exists for cardiac structure and function in this demographic.
- Cardiovascular morbidity is high in individuals over 85 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define cardiac structure and function in an age-homogenous, community-dwelling population aged 85.
- To establish normative echocardiographic data for individuals born in 1920 and 1921.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 450 subjects from the Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort Study.
- Utilized portable echocardiography for assessments at participants' residences.
- Performed standard echocardiographic assessments of cardiac structure and function.
Main Results:
- The cohort presented with large left atrial volumes (64.6 ± 26 ml) and elevated left ventricular (LV) mass indexes (122 ± 36 g/m²).
- Preserved ejection fractions (55.3 ± 10.2%) were observed, alongside reduced tissue Doppler s-wave velocities.
- Impaired diastolic function was indicated by reduced tissue Doppler e waves and elevated E/e' ratios (12.2 ± 4.9).
Conclusions:
- A high prevalence of left atrial enlargement, elevated LV mass, and LV diastolic dysfunction was found in 85-year-olds.
- Evidence of LV systolic dysfunction with preserved ejection fractions was noted.
- Elevated E/e' ratios in subjects without known cardiovascular disease are clinically significant for assessing diastolic dysfunction in this age group.
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