Usefulness of noninvasive Doppler measurement of ascending aortic blood velocity and acceleration in detecting impairment of the left ventricular functional response to exercise three weeks after acute myocardial infarction.

Left ventricular (LV) function was assessed by Doppler ultrasound measurement of ascending aortic blood velocity and maximal acceleration in 165 patients 3 to 4 weeks after acute myocardial infarction (AMI); all were undergoing routine 12-lead electrocardiogram exercise stress testing. Patients were grouped according to electrocardiographic stress test response; a positive response was defined as at least 1 mm of ST-segment depression in any lead. The Doppler velocity signal yielded 3 variables of interest: peak velocity, maximal acceleration (an index of inotropic state) and the systolic velocity integral (an index of stroke volume). All 3 Doppler ejection variables were significantly lower at peak exercise in patients with a positive electrocardiographic stress test response than in those with negative response, with maximal acceleration showing the most significance (p less than or equal to 0.001). Coronary angiography was performed in 63 of the 67 patients with positive responses, and patients were separated into 2 groups according to extent of coronary artery disease (CAD): 1- and 2-vessel or 3-vessel CAD. Peak velocity and maximal acceleration were significantly lower in patients with 3-vessel CAD than in those with 1- and 2-vessel CAD (p less than or equal to 0.01 and p less than or equal to 0.01). Discriminant analysis showed maximal acceleration and peak velocity values at peak exercise to be 65% predictive of 3-vessel CAD, onset time to ST-segment depression was 74% predictive and the combination of Doppler and electrocardiographic variables increased 3-vessel CAD predictive value to 80%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)