[A new Doppler echocardiography parameter of diastolic ventricular function].

The evaluation of flow velocities in left ventricular inflow tract (LVIT) by Doppler echocardiography gives information about the diastolic ventricular function. In late diastole, shortly after the flow velocity of atrial contraction V(A), we notice in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) a laminar flow velocity directed to the aortic valve. The purpose of this study was to compare this flow velocity V(A*) in the LVOT with the flow velocity of the atrial contraction V(A), and the flow velocity of early diastole V(E) in LVIT, to determine whether such comparison would provide information concerning diastolic function. We studied three groups: 39 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (HY) (mean age 56 +/- 12 y, 77% male), 41 patients with coronary heart disease (KHK) (mean age 53 +/- 10 y, 85% male) and 41 healthy subjects (N) (mean age 50 +/- 16 y, 51% male); all three groups were studied by pulsed Doppler from apical 4 chamber view in LVOT for maximal velocity (Vmax-A*) and time velocity integral of A* (TVI-A*), and in LVIT for maximal velocity of early diastole (Vmax-E), maximal velocity of atrial contraction (Vmax-A), ratio Vmax-E/Vmax-A, and the time velocity integrals (TVI-E, TVI-A). A slight correlation between Vmax-A* and Vmax-A was found (r = .60), being nearly the same as for TVI-A* and TVI-A (r = .64).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)