Age-Related Changes in Left Ventricular Vortex Formation and Flow Energetics

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Medical Imaging
• Gerontology

Background:

• Cardiac vortex analysis aids understanding of heart disease pathophysiology.
• Physiological changes in cardiac vortex patterns with normal aging are not fully understood.
• Vector flow mapping (VFM) is an advanced echocardiographic technique for cardiac vortex analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the physiological changes of cardiac vortex patterns in healthy adults during normal aging.
• To investigate the relationship between aging, intracardiac flow dynamics, and vortex characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Transthoracic echocardiography and VFM were performed on 100 healthy adults (aged 18-67).
• Intracardiac flow was assessed throughout the cardiac cycle, measuring vortex size and circulation (S-, E-, and A-vortices).
• Peak energy loss (EL) was calculated using intracardiac flow velocity vector data.

Main Results:

• E-vortex circulation decreased, while A-vortex circulation increased with normal aging (p < 0.049).
• Vortex circulation correlated with specific echocardiographic parameters (e', A, a', s').
• Energy loss did not significantly differ between younger and older individuals, despite altered vortex patterns.

Conclusions:

• Normal aging is associated with significant alterations in intracardiac vortex patterns.
• The late-diastolic A-vortex becomes more physiologically dominant with age.
• Aging hearts maintain energy efficiency despite changes in vortex dynamics.