Effect of Food Intake on Vortex Formation Time as a Measurement of Diastolic Left Ventricular Function

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess if vortex formation time (VFT) as a measurement of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is affected by food intake and related to age and sex. Methods: Healthy participants were divided into two age groups: younger (median age: 25 years) and older (median age: 68 years). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examinations were performed during fasting as well as 30 min after a standardized meal. Measurements of the TTE images were performed off-line for the calculation of VFT. Results: There were no differences in VFT between men and women regardless of age. There was a significant increase in VFT from a median value of 2.0 (1.5-2.5) to a median value of 2.3 (1.5-2.0) after food intake in the older study group (p < 0.001). This was not observed in the younger study group, which had a median value of VFT of 2.5 (2.1-3.0) before food intake and a median value of VFT of 2.5 (2.2-3.1) after food intake (p = 0.369). Furthermore, VFT was significantly higher in the younger study group, i.e., 2.5 (2.1-3.0), compared to the older study group, i.e., 2.0 (1.5-2.5), before food intake (p = 0.011), but not after food intake, with a median value of VFT in the younger group of 2.5 (2.2-3.1) and the older group of 2.3 (1.5-2.9) (p = 0.172). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that VFT is affected by age, not by sex. Moreover, VFT is affected by food intake only in elderly subjects.