Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Echocardiographic Approaches and Protocols for Comprehensive Phenotypic Characterization of Valvular Heart Disease in Mice
Published on: February 14, 2017
Prognostic value of left ventricular-arterial coupling estimated using echocardiography in dogs with myxomatous
Tatsuyuki Osuga1, Tomoya Morita2, Noboru Sasaki2
1Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
Background:
The interaction between the left ventricle (LV) and systemic arterial systems, known as left ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC), has been evaluated based on the effective arterial elastance (Ea) to LV end-systolic elastance (Ees) ratio (Ea/Ees). The Ea reflects the total arterial load of LV, whereas Ees reflects the LV systolic function. A recent study found that inappropriate VAC based on increased Ea/Ees estimated by echocardiography is associated with advanced disease severity in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).
Hypothesis:
Inappropriate VAC assessed by echocardiographic estimation of Ea/Ees is associated with a worse prognosis in dogs with MMVD.
Animals:
Eighty-nine dogs with MMVD.
Methods:
Prospective cohort study. Dogs underwent echocardiographic examinations at enrollment. The Ea was estimated using the formula: mean blood pressure/(forward stroke volume/body weight). The Ees was estimated using the formula: mean blood pressure/(LV end-systolic volume/body weight). The Ea/Ees was calculated.
Results:
By end of study, 22 dogs died of cardiac-related causes with 67 dogs censored. Dogs with increased Ea/Ees (Ea/Ees >0.34; median survival time, 527 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 322 days-not determinable) had a shorter survival time (P < .0001) than those without increased Ea/Ees (Ea/Ees ≤0.34; median survival time, >1112 days; 95% CI, not determinable). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that Ea/Ees, body weight, peak systolic mitral annular velocity, and the peak early diastolic transmitral velocity-to-peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity ratio were independent predictors of cardiac-related death among echocardiographic indices.
Conclusions And Clinical Importance:
Inappropriate VAC assessed based on echocardiographically-estimated Ea/Ees is associated with a worse prognosis in dogs with MMVD.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Mitral Stenosis II: Clinical features and Diagnostic Tests
Mitral Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Mitral Valve Prolapse II: Assessment and Management
Mitral Regurgitation I: Introduction
Mitral Valve Prolapse I: Introduction

