Doppler echocardiographic parameters of evaluation of left ventricular systolic function.

The authors suggest a new method using Doppler echocardiography for the evaluation of cardiac performance. Doppler echocardiography permits the calculation of left ventricular (LV) ejection force (according to Newton's second law of motion). The ejection force was calculated in 36 patients with heart failure subgrouped into 3 groups based on ejection fraction (EF) (> 60%; 41-60%; < 40%) compared to 11 normal subjects. The LV ejection force showed a good linear correlation with LV ejection fraction (r = 0.86). Data of the study suggest that the LV ejection force is a valuable and accurate index for the assessment of cardiac performance, especially in early stages of disease.