BACKGROUND Although Doppler echocardiography has been used to identify abnormal left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling dynamics, inherent limitations suggest the need for additional measures of diastolic dysfunction. Because data suggest that B-natriuretic peptide (BNP) partially reflects ventricular pressure, we hypothesized that BNP levels could predict diastolic abnormalities in patients wi...

We investigated in conscious dogs (a) the effects of heart failure induced by chronic rapid ventricular pacing on the sequence of development of left ventricular (LV) diastolic versus systolic dysfunction and (b) whether the changes were load dependent or secondary to alterations in structure. LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction were evident within 24 h after initiation of pacing and occurred...

BACKGROUND Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) has been known to adversely influence cardiac output. Even though left ventricular (LV) diastolic function significantly contributes to LV performance, the effects of PEEP on LV diastolic function remains controversial. We, therefore, aimed to examine the effects of PEEP on LV diastolic function by use of pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging in p...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in hospitalized elderly patients. METHODS This was a case-control observational study of 148 consecutive hospitalized elderly patients (≥65 years old): 73 subjects without COPD as controls and 75 patients with COPD. Mild-to-moderate COPD was defined as stages 1 and 2, w...

BACKGROUND.: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by asymmetric LV hypertrophy (LVH) and impairment in diastolic function. We assess the relationship between LVH and invasive indexes of diastolic function. METHODS.: 21 HCM patients underwent cardiac catheterization to assess pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, LV end-diastolic pressure (measured by microtip catheters), and LV vol...

AIMS Impaired diastolic function is responsible for many of the clinical features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) whose symptoms are refractory to medical therapy, alcohol septal ablation (ASA) reduces left ventricular (LV) outflow tract gradient, with short-term improvement in LV diastolic function. Little is known about the longe...

J Echocardiogr Vol.6, No.3, 2008 57 The concepts for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function were established in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and necessitate the use of high fidelity pressure and conductance catheters. The most recent [1] set of criteria (Figure 1) for diagnosing diastolic heart failure (DHF) include the presence of increased LV filling pressures (m...

Background: Considering the association between cardiac abnormalities and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between biopsy-proven NAFLD and functional echocardiographic parameters, including left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) in asymptomatic individuals. Methods: Thirty asymptomatic patients with liver biopsy-prov...

BACKGROUND Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves functional outcomes in patients with severe systolic heart failure. Whether the effects of CRT on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function and clinical outcomes are influenced by the cause as either ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathy (CM) has not been well established. METHODS A total of 57 patients (age 60 +/- 11 years; 25% wome...

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess how the preload reduction a#ects left ventricular LV diastolic function in hemodialysis patients with LV hypertrophy. Methods: Subjects included 14 patients with LV hypertrophy receiving hemodialysis. The subjects underwent echocardiographic and pulsed Doppler examinations before and after hemodialysis, and the data were analyzed to determine ...