Research

Early diastolic filling dynamics in diastolic dysfunction

Gerard J King^*, Jerome B Foley, Faisal Almane, Peter A Crean and Michael J Walsh

• * Corresponding author: Gerard J King gking@stjames.ie

Author Affiliations

Trinity College, Dublin and St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland

For all author emails, please log on.

Cardiovascular Ultrasound 2003, 1:9 doi:10.1186/1476-7120-1-9

Published: 25 July 2003

Abstract

Background

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the rate of peak early mitral inflow velocity and the peak early diastolic mitral annular tissue velocities in normal controls and to compare them with subjects with diastolic dysfunction.

Methods

The relationship between early passive diastolic transmitral flow and peak early mitral annular velocity in the normal and in diastolic dysfunction was studied. Two groups comprising 22 normal controls and 25 patients with diastolic dysfunction were studied.

Results

Compared with the normal group, those with diastolic dysfunction had a lower E/A ratio (0.7 ± 0.2 vs. 1.9 ± 0.5, p < 0.001), a higher time-velocity integral of the atrial component (11.7 ± 3.2 cm vs. 5.5 ± 2.1 cm, p < 0.0001), a longer isovolumic relaxation time 73 ± 12 ms vs. 94 ± 6 ms, p < 0.01 and a lower rate of acceleration of blood across the mitral valve (549.2 ± 151.9 cm/sec² vs. 871 ± 128.1 cm/sec², p < 0.001). They also had a lower mitral annular relaxation velocity (Ea) (6.08 ± 1.6 cm/sec vs 12.8 ± 0.67 cm/sec, p < 0.001), which was positively correlated to the acceleration of early diastolic filling (R = 0.66), p < 0.05.

Conclusions

This investigation provides information on the acceleration of early diastolic filling and its relationship to mitral annular peak tissue velocity (Ea) recorded by Doppler tissue imaging. It supports not only the premise that recoil is an important mechanism for rapid early diastolic filling but also the existence of an early diastolic mechanism in normal.