Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes and has been weakly linked with left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Previous studies that explored this association either suffer from inadequate definition of CAN or have mainly used conventional Doppler or nuclear techniques to investigate LV diastolic function. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI)...

AIMS Despite expected improvement in left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), the complex relationship between pre-existent LV systolic and diastolic function and changes in LV haemodynamics and clinical symptoms have been scarcely investigated. This study investigated the presence of pre-operative LV diastolic dysfunction and i...

AIMS Diastolic dysfunction may result in elevation of left ventricular (LV) and atrial pressures, resulting in left atrial (LA) remodelling. We examined the effects of LV diastolic dysfunction on LA volume and function. METHODS AND RESULTS We measured LA volume and function in 83 patients with normal LV systolic function. The LV diastolic function grade was defined using traditional Doppler m...

Calcineurin is a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase that induces myocardial growth in response to several physiological and pathological stimuli. Calcineurin inhibition, induced either via cyclosporine or genetically, can decrease myocardial hypertrophy secondary to pressure overload without affecting left ventricular (LV) systolic function. Since hypertrophy can also affect LV dia...

Little information is available on the mechanism of diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with chronic respiratory disease complicated by hypoxia. The purpose of this study was to investigate how chronic hypoxia impairs LV diastolic function in an hypoxic animal model. Thirty-six male Wistar rats 8 weeks old were assigned to normoxia (N), chronic hypoxia (CH), and re-normoxia ...

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling is characterized by the formation of intraventricular rotational bodies of fluid (termed "vortex rings") that optimize the efficiency of LV ejection. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morphology and dynamics of LV diastolic vortex ring formation early after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), in relation to LV diastolic function and infarct ...

BACKGROUND Mitral regurgitation (MR) causes an augmentation in left ventricular (LV) diastolic function, increasing early diastolic filling rate and decreasing LV stiffness. Whether these changes in diastolic function persist, return to normal, or become abnormal after mitral valve replacement (MVR) is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS Simultaneous LV echocardiography and catheterization studies w...

BACKGROUND Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is established for assessment of left ventricular (LV) systolic function but has not been widely used to assess diastolic function. This study tested performance of a novel CMR segmentation algorithm (LV-METRIC) for automated assessment of diastolic function. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 101 patients with normal LV systolic function underwent CMR ...

BACKGROUND Isolated atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with mild enlargement of the left atrium (LA) and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. The impact of ablation of isolated AF on left chamber size and function is unclear, and whether diastolic dysfunction is the cause or the consequence of AF remains unknown. The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the impact of ...

BACKGROUND We investigated race-ethnic and sex-specific relationships of left ventricular (LV) structure and LV function in African American and white men and women at 43 to 55 years of age. METHODS AND RESULTS The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study enrolled African American and white adults, age 18 to 30 years, from 4 US field centers in 1985-1986 (Year-0) who ha...