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Augmentation of atrial contribution to left ventricular inflow with aging as assessed by intracardiac Doppler
Insights
Aging significantly impacts left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. Mitral inflow patterns reveal impaired LV distensibility and increased atrial contribution to filling in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Physiology
Background:
- Aging affects cardiac function, particularly diastolic filling.
- Understanding age-related changes in left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is crucial for cardiovascular health.
- Mitral inflow patterns provide insights into LV diastolic dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of aging on diastolic function of the left ventricle.
- To analyze changes in mitral inflow patterns with aging in healthy individuals.
- To determine the relationship between aging and LV filling characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography to assess mitral inflow patterns.
- Studied a cohort of 69 healthy individuals across different age groups.
- Analyzed peak filling velocities and atrial contraction contributions.
Main Results:
- Peak rapid filling velocity tended to decrease with age (not statistically significant).
- Peak atrial contraction velocity tended to increase with age (not statistically significant).
- The ratio of atrial contraction to rapid filling phase significantly increased with aging (r = 0.82, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Aging significantly influences mitral flow conditions and diastolic function.
- Left ventricular distensibility in early diastole is impaired with aging.
- Atrial contraction compensatorily augments left ventricular filling in older adults.
Abstract:
The influence of aging on the left ventricular (LV) function in diastole was investigated from the aspect of the mitral inflow pattern using 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. The subjects for the investigation were 69 persons who were diagnosed as healthy by a checkup examination. The peak velocity in the rapid filling phase and that in the atrial contraction phase tended to decrease and to increase with aging, respectively. However, these tendencies were not statistically significant. However, the ratio of the atrial contraction phase to the rapid filling phase showed a significant increase with aging (r = 0.82, p less than 0.001). Therefore, it is considered that the mitral flow conditions are influenced by aging. The result obtained is also interpreted to mean that the LV distensibility in early diastole is impaired with aging and that the contribution of the atrial contraction to LV filling is compensatorily augmented.