Skip Navigation

European Journal of Heart Failure 2008 10(5):490-497; doi:10.1016/j.ejheart.2008.03.005
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lindqvist, P.
Right arrow Articles by Waldenström, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lindqvist, P.
Right arrow Articles by Waldenström, A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2008 European Society of Cardiology

The use of E/Em and the time interval difference of isovolumic relaxation (TIVRT–IVRTm) in estimating left ventricular filling pressures

Per Lindqvista,*, Gerhard Wikströmc and Anders Waldenströmb

a Department of Clinical Physiology, Heart Centre, Umeå University Hospital Umeå, Sweden
b Department of Cardiology, Heart Centre, Umeå University Hospital Umeå, Sweden
c Department of Cardiology, Academic University Hospital Uppsala, Sweden

* Corresponding author. Department of Clinical Physiology, Heart Centre, Umeå University, S-90185 Umeå, Sweden. Tel.: +46 907851965; fax: +46 90137633. E-mail addresses: per.lindqvist{at}medicin.umu.se (P. Lindqvist).


  Abstract

Background and aims: The ratio of the transmitral and myocardial early diastolic velocities (E/Em) can be used to estimate LV filling pressures (LVFP). Additionally, the time difference between the onset of E and Em also correlates to LVFP. The aim of this study was to evaluate which of these two indices is the best marker of LVFP in a heterogeneous group of patients during a simultaneous invasive procedure.

Methods and results: Thirty two patients were studied. Em and the isovolumic relaxation time (IVRTm) at four segments of the LV were measured using pulsed tissue Doppler echocardiography. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used to measure E and IVRT. E/Em and IVRT–IVRTm (TIVRT–IVRTm) were then calculated. Highly significant correlations were found between TIVRT–IVRTm and PCWP at the lateral (r=–0.80, p<0.001) and posterior (r=–0.71, p<0.001) segments whereas only a weak relationship was found between PCWP and E/Em (p<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of using a negative TIVRT–IVRTm for identifying patients with PCWP >12 mm Hg were 89 and 90%, respectively.

Conclusion: We found a highly significant correlation between TIVRT–IVRTm and PCWP, which was not seen for E/Em. We propose TIVRT–IVRTm as a stronger predictor of LVFP. TIVRT–IVRTm also seems to correlate to LVFP for many different clinical aetiologies of elevated LVFP.

Key Words: Left ventricular filling pressures • Tissue Doppler echocardiography

Received September 18, 2007; Revised January 15, 2008; Accepted March 10, 2008


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.