Mechanisms for an abnormal radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction response to exercise in patients with chronic, severe aortic regurgitation.

To clarify the mechanisms for an abnormal radionuclide left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction response to exercise in patients with chronic, severe aortic regurgitation (AR), we studied seven control patients and 21 patients with AR. We used exercise radionuclide angiography and catheterization of the right and left sides of the heart to obtain a calculation of LV chamber elastance. The control and AR groups had similar heart rates, systolic blood pressure responses to exercise, and exercise durations. In both patient groups, LV end-diastolic volume did not change with exercise. In contrast to the decrease in LV end-systolic volume (p less than 0.05) and increase in LV ejection fraction (p less than 0.01) in the control group, LV end-systolic volume in the patients with AR increased, resulting in little change in their LV ejection fraction. By stepwise multiple regression analysis, the radionuclide LV ejection fraction at peak exercise in patients with AR was determined by the LV chamber elastance, LV end-systolic volume, and stroke volume at peak exercise (cumulative r = 0.79, p less than 0.02); the change in radionuclide LV ejection fraction from rest to peak exercise was determined by the corresponding change in systemic vascular resistance, regurgitant index, and LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes (cumulative r = 0.88, p less than 0.02). These data demonstrate that in patients with AR, the radionuclide LV ejection fraction at peak exercise is principally determined by the cumulative effects of chronic, severe AR on LV systolic chamber performance, and the change in radionuclide LV ejection fraction from rest to peak exercise is principally established by peripheral vascular responses.