[Assessment of the functional parameter of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure]

In patients with an increase in enddiastolic pressure an impairment of left ventricular function is assumed. However, changes in left ventricular geometry (e.g. hypertrophy) or in elastic properties of the myocardium result in an increase in enddiastolic pressure, too. To differentiate the underlying mechanisms the elastic properties of the ventricle and myocardium, respectively, have to be determined. Our investigations show that the usually used determinations are not appropriate, if ventricular volumes are determined by means of angiography. The elastic properties can be calculated more exactly considering relaxation and thus the early filling phase of diastole. Moreover it is possible to perform this analysis by means of routinely determined hemodynamic parameters. So we propose a simple expression for the calculation of the elastic properties of the ventricle and get more information about the case of an increased enddiastolic pressure in clinical practise.