BACKGROUND Dilated cardiomyopathy and ischaemic heart disease can both lead to right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. Direct comparisons of the two entities regarding RV size and function using state-of-the-art imaging techniques have not yet been performed. We aimed to determine RV function and volume in dilated cardiomyopathy and ischaemic heart disease in relation to left ventricular (LV) systo...

The effect of diastolic dysfunction (DD) on the timing of left ventricular (LV) diastolic longitudinal and circumferential expansion and their load dependence is not known. This study evaluated the timing of the peak early diastolic LV inflow velocity (E), mitral annular velocity (e'), and longitudinal and circumferential global strain rates (SRE) in 161 patients in sinus rhythm. The intraventr...

Abstracz'This study demonstrates a subject specific approach for simulating blood flow within a left ventricle (LV) by a combined analysis of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Time dependent LV morphology and wall movements are measured by 3D multi-slice MRI. The information is then used to build numerical meshes for CFD simulation which provides detailed ...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the cause of abnormal left ventricular (LV) Doppler diastolic filling characteristics in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). BACKGROUND In CTEPH, LV diastolic function often appears abnormal. It is unclear whether this "impaired relaxation" (E<A) filling pattern is caused by septal hypertrophy, right ventricular (RV) e...

The development of congestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with left ventricular (LV) dilation and myocardial remodeling. However, fundamental mechanisms that contribute to this remodeling process with the progression of CHF remain unclear. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been demonstrated to play a significant role in tissue remodeling in a number of pathological processes. The ...

OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to assess coronary flow reserve (CFR) before and after aortic valve replacement (AVR). BACKGROUND Coronary flow reserve is impaired under conditions of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. It is not known whether CFR improves with regression of LV hypertrophy in humans. METHODS We investigated 35 patients with pure aortic stenosis, LV hypertrophy and norm...

INTRODUCTION Torsional and longitudinal deformations are essential components of left ventricular (LV) performance. We believe that a precise assessment of LV function must take into account both LV torsion (LVtor) and global longitudinal strain (LVε). Therefore, we investigated with speckle tracking echocardiography the value of a new parameter, LVtor × LVε, for assessing LV function in dilate...

Background Delayed enhancement (DE) CMR is the gold standard for detecting irreversibly damaged myocardial tissue (scar). Yet, direct impact of scar on regional systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) function is not well understood. Standard tools for LV velocities (Tissue Doppler Imaging) are limited by poor reproducibility and incomplete assessment of all regions and motion directions. ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The structural significance of the inappropriateness of left ventricular mass (iLVM) is known to be an important prognostic factor for cardiovascular events; however, the functional changes associated with iLVM have not been established. This study was performed to determine if diastolic dysfunction is associated with iLVM using a tissue Doppler technique. SUBJECTS A...

This study was designed to quantitate the influence of 20 clinical, hemodynamic, and volume determinants of left ventricular (LV) structure. Systemic hemodynamics, intravascular volume, and LV echocardiographic measurements were collected in a heterogeneous population of 171 patients. Stepwise multiple-regression analysis indicated that body weight and body-surface area were the most powerful d...