Effect of isometric exercise on mitral and aortic regurgitation as assessed by color Doppler flow imaging

Isometric exercise produces well-defined hemodynamic changes in normal and diseased states. However, the effect of isometrics on the degree of valvular regurgitation recorded by color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) has not been reported. CDFI was therefore used to evaluate changes in valvular regurgitation in 34 patients, mean age 53 +/- 16 years. Data were collected for 43 regurgitant lesions including 20 cases of aortic regurgitation and 23 cases of mitral regurgitation. Isometrics produced a significant increase in heart rate (71 to 83 beats/min) and blood pressure (132/64 to 153/70 mm Hg) in all patients (p less than 0.0001). Regurgitant jet area by CDFI increased significantly in both aortic regurgitation (4.5 to 6.2 cm2, p less than 0.0001) and mitral regurgitation (6.2 to 8.2 cm2, p less than 0.001). Patients taking concurrent vasodilator or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy had similar responses to those not receiving long-term therapy. Thus, CDFI detects an increase in aortic and mitral regurgitant jet area induced by isometric exertion. The change in CDFI jet area with handgrip demonstrates the influence of loading conditions on the size of a regurgitant jet area, and suggests that isometric exertion may increase the magnitude of mitral and aortic regurgitation.