(Circulation. 2000;102:1788.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Clinical Investigation and Reports |
From the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn, and Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz (C.P.A.). Correspondence to Steve R. Ommen, MD, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
| Abstract |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Methods and ResultsOne hundred consecutive patients referred for cardiac catheterization underwent simultaneous Doppler interrogation. Invasive measurements of LV pressures were obtained with micromanometer-tipped catheters, and the mean LV diastolic pressure (M-LVDP) was used as a surrogate for mean left atrial pressure. Doppler signals from the mitral inflow, pulmonary venous inflow, and TDI of the mitral annulus were obtained. Isolated parameters of transmitral flow correlated with M-LVDP only when ejection fraction <50%. The ratio of mitral velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/E') showed a better correlation with M-LVDP than did other Doppler variables for all levels of systolic function. E/E' <8 accurately predicted normal M-LVDP, and E/E' >15 identified increased M-LVDP. Wide variability was present in those with E/E' of 8 to 15. A subset of those patients with E/E' 8 to 15 could be further defined by use of other Doppler data.
ConclusionsThe combination of tissue Doppler imaging of the mitral annulus and mitral inflow velocity curves provides better estimates of LV filling pressures than other methods (pulmonary vein, preload reduction). However, accurate prediction of filling pressures for an individual patient requires a stepwise approach incorporating all available data.
Key Words: diastole echocardiography pressure
| Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
To overcome these limitations of the mitral inflow parameters, combinations of the mitral flow velocity curves with other Doppler parameters have been used. These include the pulmonary venous velocity curves,5 6 7 8 9 10 color M-mode,11 12 and the response of the mitral inflow to altered loading conditions.13 14 Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) of mitral annular motion has been proposed to correct for the influence of myocardial relaxation on transmitral flows. This has been shown to be an excellent predictor of diastolic filling in subsets of patients.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
The purpose of this study was to evaluate critically the usefulness and limitations of TDI for the evaluation of diastolic filling with direct simultaneous high-fidelity measurement of LV pressure. Additionally, we sought to compare the results of TDI with other techniques currently available for the assessment of diastolic function.
| Methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
) was calculated by use of a zero
asymptote method as described by Weiss et
al.27 Ejection fraction (EF) was visually estimated with 2-dimensional echocardiography, as is done routinely in our laboratory. To validate this commonly used measure of systolic function, 55 patients also had quantitative measurement with biplanar Simpsons rule from the apical 2- and 4-chamber views.28 The correlation coefficient between the 2 methods was r=0.91. The visually estimated EF is used in the remainder of this article.
Conventional Doppler Measurements
Doppler echocardiography was performed
simultaneously with the invasive recordings with an
Acuson 128XP/10. A single investigator (S.R.O.), who had performed
Doppler echocardiography for >2 years and had
achieved level 3 training in echocardiography,
performed all Doppler recordings. Mitral inflow and
pulmonary venous curves were recorded as previously
described.4 The peak Doppler velocities of early (E)
and late diastolic flow (A), the deceleration time (DT),
the E/A ratio, and the duration of the late diastolic flow
(a-dur) were measured (Figure 1
).
|
Pulmonary vein systolic (PVs), diastolic
(PVd), and atrial reversal (PVa), as well as the duration of flow at
atrial contraction (a-dur), were recorded (Figure 1
). The
difference between the pulmonary a-dur and mitral a-dur
(PVa-MVa) was calculated. There was a strong correlation between the
PVs/PVd velocity ratio and the systolic filling fraction
(r=0.71) and a similar association with M-LVDP in 20
randomly selected patients. The PVs/PVd ratio is used as a surrogate
for the pulmonary venous systolic filling fraction.
The mitral inflow pattern was also recorded during the strain phase
of the Valsalva maneuver with real-time 2-dimensional
echocardiography to ensure that the placement of
the sample volume and angle of interrogation were unchanged with
respect to the baseline measurements.14 Patients were
required to forcefully exhale into an analog manometer to achieve an
intrathoracic pressure of
30 mm Hg. Patients unable to achieve
this level did not have their signals analyzed. Because of the
relative tachycardia seen during the Valsalva maneuver,
slight fusion of the mitral E and A waves can occur. In those
instances, the late diastolic velocity was determined by
subtracting the velocity at the fusion point (E at A) from the measured
A velocity (Figure 1
).14
Tissue Doppler Measurements
TDI of the mitral annulus was obtained from the apical 4-chamber
view. A 1.5-mm sample volume was placed sequentially at the lateral and
medial mitral annulus. Analysis (Figure 1
) was performed
for the early (E') and late diastolic velocity (A'): peak
velocity (E', A'), time to peak velocity (E'at, A'at), DT (E'DT, A'DT),
and duration of velocity profile (E'dur, A'dur). These
variables were analyzed individually, as the average of the
medial and lateral annulus, and as the maximum of the medial and
lateral annulus.
All Doppler signals were recorded with a chart recorder set at 100 mm/s. The average of 3 end-expiratory cycles was used.
Data are presented as mean±SD. Linear regression was used to assess whether the Doppler variables were associated with the invasive variables. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for the individual Doppler variables for the prediction of M-LVDP >12 mm Hg. Comparisons between patient groups were assessed with t tests. Statistical significance was defined as P<0.05.
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
Technical Success Rate of Obtaining Doppler Signals
Mitral inflow and TDI signals were recorded in all patients.
The mitral signal was fused in 6 patients (94% available for
analysis), and the TDI signal was fused in 3 (97% available).
Twenty TDI signals were remeasured by a second observer; the mean
difference in velocity between the 2 observers was 0.001±0.002 m/s
(P=NS).
Pulmonary venous signals were adequate in 73%, whereas 61% had adequate Valsalva recordings. The Valsalva recordings were felt to be inadequate in 10 patients (10%) because of poor effort, in 20 patients because of fusion of the signal, and in the remainder because of inadequate or loss of signal during the strain phase of the maneuver.
Conventional Doppler Parameters and Correlation
With M-LVDP
The correlations of M-LVDP with Doppler variables are
shown in Table 2
. Among patients with EF
<50%, there was a significant correlation between DT and M-LVDP
(r=0.60) but not in those with EF >50%
(r=0.17). Likewise, the E/A ratio was better correlated with
M-LVDP when EF was <50% (r=0.46) than when EF was >50%
(r=0.28).
|
Tissue Doppler Correlation With Invasive Parameters
The correlations with the medial annulus TDI were
consistently equivalent or better than the lateral annulus or
the combinations of the medial and lateral annulus (Table 2
).
The ROC curves for prediction of elevated M-LVDP from the E/E' ratios
are shown in Figure 2
. The areas under
the curves were 0.82 and 0.75 for the medial and lateral annulus,
respectively. The medial annulus signals were obtained in a higher
proportion of patients and thus are used in the remainder of this
article. None of the TDI intervals (durations, acceleration times, and
DTs) showed a strong relationship to LV filling pressures (Table 2
).
|
There was a correlation between the time constant of relaxation and E'
(r=0.46), but scatter was present (Figure 3
). The correlation was worse in patients
with normal (r=0.28) versus abnormal (r=0.42)
systolic function. The best TDI parameter
correlating with M-LVDP was the E/E' ratio (r=0.64). This
correlation was better in patients with EF <50% (r=0.60)
than in those with EF >50%(r=0.47). The medial E/E' ratio
performed as well when the analysis was confined to those
patients with documented CAD (medial r=0.65, lateral
r=0.54).
|
Comparison of Doppler Methods
The Doppler variables were tested to determine the
accuracy of each variable in identifying M-LVDP >12 mm Hg on
the basis of previously published criteria. The prediction of elevated
M-LVDP was based on mitral E/A >2,29 30 DT <130
ms,29 a decrease in E/A with the Valsalva maneuver of
0.5,14 PVd>PVs, PVa duration
30 ms longer than
MVa-dur,9 or E/E' >10.18 The percentage of
patients correctly identified by each variable is shown in Figure 4
. The E/E' ratio had the highest
predictive accuracy when all patients were analyzed (71%) or
when only those patients with interpretable signals (76%) were
considered. The ROC curves for all measured Doppler
parameters are shown in Figure 5
. The largest area was 0.82 for E/E'
compared with 0.75 for E/A ratio, 0.68 for DT, 0.77 for the Valsalva
maneuver, and 0.67 for PVa-MVa.
|
|
The ROC analysis was repeated with M-LVDP >15 mm Hg used as the definition of elevated filling pressure. The areas under the respective ROC curves were 0.81 (septal E/E'), 0.80 (Valsalva maneuver), 0.78 (E/A ratio), 0.76 (DT), and 0.67 (PVa-MVa). As with the cutoff value of M-LVDP >12 mm Hg, the septal E/E' had the best ROC curve and was the most readily obtained. E/E' >15 had 86% specificity (64% positive predictive value) for M-LVDP >15 mm Hg (97% negative predictive value for E/E' <8).
Clinical Application of Doppler Methods for Determining LV
Filling Pressure
The E/E' ratio was the single best parameter for
predicting M-LVDP and was obtained most readily. With use of the ROC
curve, patients were divided into 3 groups. Of the 27 patients with
E/E' <8, normal M-LVDP was found in 23 (85%). All patients with E/E'
>15 had elevated M-LVDP. This scheme remains accurate whether patients
with preserved or reduced systolic function are assessed
(Figure 6
).
|
Fifty-one patients had indeterminate M-LVDP (8<E/E'<15). Figure 7
displays the incremental utility of the
conventional Doppler data in this group. Patients with Valsalva
maneuver (change in E/A >0.5) and/or PVa-MVa >30 ms tended to be
those with the highest filling pressures. There was no incremental
benefit of using the conventional Doppler variables (Valsalva
mitral inflow pattern or pulmonary vein velocities) among
patients with E/E' <8 or >15.
|
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
TDI of the mitral annulus during diastole has been proposed as a new method for assessment cardiac function. With systolic contraction, there is long-axis shortening of the LV manifest by mitral annular descent toward a relatively fixed apex. In patients in sinus rhythm, the annulus ascends in 2 phases. Pulsed-wave TDI provides the velocity profile of these movements. The velocity of the earliest diastolic motion may reflect the rate of myocardial relaxation, and these velocities may not be as dependent on pressure gradients as is blood flow.15 22 TDI has been applied to several subsets of patients to show a correlation with systolic and diastolic cardiac function.16 17 22 36 37
Combining transmitral flow velocity with annular velocity (E/E') has
been proposed as a tool for assessing LV filling pressures that
combines the influence of transmitral driving pressure and myocardial
relaxation.18 19 20 In the present study, this combined
variable was the best single Doppler predictor of elevated
filling pressures. However, there remains significant scatter with
E/E', particularly with intermediate values of E/E'. The annular
velocity should not be viewed as a direct measure of myocardial
relaxation because the correlations between E' and
that have been
reported here (r=0.46) and elsewhere22 are
modest at best. Nonuniformity of LV relaxation, particularly in
patients with CAD, may further confound the direct relationship between
the annular velocities and a global measurement of myocardial
relaxation.
TDI is easier to obtain and, in the present study, more accurate than other methods in determining LV filling pressures. Signals adequate for analysis during the Valsalva maneuver or from the pulmonary venous flow were obtained in 61% and 73%, respectively. By comparison, the tissue signals were obtained in 97%.
We would propose that the E/E' ratio be used as the initial measurement for estimation of LV filling pressures, particularly in those patients with preserved systolic function. Patients with E/E' >15 can be classified as having elevated filling pressure. An E/E' <8 suggests normal filling pressure. In the range of E/E' of 8 to 15, other information must be applied. With high-specificity cutoff points for A-wave duration (PVa 30 ms longer than MVa) and a change in mitral E/A ratio during the Valsalva maneuver (reduction >0.5), further characterization of the intermediate E/E' group is possible. Prior investigations also point out the importance of considering left atrial size in assessing filling pressures.30
Study Limitations
The motion of the mitral annulus is not entirely due to myocardial
contraction but rather is the summation of contraction, rotation, and
translation. The effects of each of these may vary from patient to
patient. The use of the apical transducer position to sample the mitral
annulus is an attempt to minimize the translational and rotational
effects and focus on long-axis excursions of the LV cavity. We have not
accounted for differences in the length of the long axis, which may
inherently be related to total annular plane displacement. Nor was any
adjustment made for regional wall motion abnormalities, although there
was clearly more data scatter in patients with known CAD. The septal
annulus appeared more sensitive to this heterogeneity,
although there was a strong correlation between the septal and lateral
annulus velocities.18 The effects of regional dysfunction
on the motion of the annular plane are not yet known, and we did not
examine the anterior or posterior annulus motion. Measurements of
the medial annulus demonstrated a better correlation with LV filling
pressures than did measurements of the lateral annulus or combinations
of the two.
We sought to examine an "unselected" group of patients who would be representative of a broader patient population. However, all patients were referred for clinically indicated left heart catheterization and as such represent a group of patients with a high prevalence of cardiac disease. The relatively low technical success of pulmonary venous flow and Valsalva maneuver may be explained in part by the fact that these patients were studied in the supine position in the catheterization laboratory. There were also stringent criteria for acceptance of adequate Valsalva maneuver, which limits the overall success of obtaining these signals. Using optimal patient positioning, more advanced echocardiographic equipment, and/or contrast enhancement may potentially increase the success of obtaining these signals. However, the percentage of these Doppler parameters that were adequate for analysis in this study may well represent the type of data obtained in most echocardiographic laboratories.
Conclusions
Overall, the E/E' ratio was the single best predictor of LV
filling pressure but did not have adequate discriminatory power to be
used in isolation. All available information, including
systolic function, chamber dimensions, and all Doppler
variables, must be considered in the analysis of individual
patients.
Received January 19, 2000; revision received May 5, 2000; accepted May 19, 2000.
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
V. G. Rasmussen, S. H. Poulsen, E. Dupont, K. Ostergaard, G. Safikhany, and H. Egeblad Ergotamine-derived dopamine agonists and left ventricular function in Parkinson patients: systolic and diastolic function studied by conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging, and two-dimensional speckle tracking Eur J Echocardiogr, May 7, 2008; (2008) jen160v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Tretjak and M. Kozelj Tissue Doppler annular velocities, NT-proBNP and exercise capacity in healthy elderly Age Ageing, May 1, 2008; 37(3): 336 - 339. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Silvilairat, R. Sittiwangkul, Y. Pongprot, P. Charoenkwan, and C. Phornphutkul Tissue Doppler echocardiography reliably reflects severity of iron overload in pediatric patients with {beta} thalassemia Eur J Echocardiogr, May 1, 2008; 9(3): 368 - 372. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. T. Emery, I. Jadavji, J. B. Choy, and R. A. Lawrance Investigating the European Society of Cardiology Diastology Guidelines in a practical scenario Eur J Echocardiogr, April 23, 2008; (2008) jen137v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Perry, C. G. De Pasquale, D. P. Chew, and M. X. Joseph Assessment of early diastolic left ventricular function by two-dimensional echocardiographic speckle tracking Eur J Echocardiogr, April 19, 2008; (2008) jen148v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H. M. Ippisch, T. H. Inge, S. R. Daniels, B. Wang, P. R. Khoury, S. A. Witt, B. J. Glascock, V. F. Garcia, and T. R. Kimball Reversibility of Cardiac Abnormalities in Morbidly Obese Adolescents J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., April 8, 2008; 51(14): 1342 - 1348. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. D. Abel, S. E. Litwin, and G. Sweeney Cardiac Remodeling in Obesity Physiol Rev, April 1, 2008; 88(2): 389 - 419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Y. Hayashi, A. Seeberger, B. Lind, S. Gunnes, A. Alvestrand, M. M. d. Nascimento, B. Lindholm, and L.-A. Brodin Acute effects of low and high intravenous doses of furosemide on myocardial function in anuric haemodialysis patients: a tissue Doppler study Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., April 1, 2008; 23(4): 1355 - 1361. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S-W Lee, M-C Park, Y-B Park, and S-K Lee E/E' ratio is more sensitive than E/A ratio for detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus Lupus, March 1, 2008; 17(3): 195 - 201. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Innelli, R. Sanchez, F. Marra, R. Esposito, and M. Galderisi The impact of aging on left ventricular longitudinal function in healthy subjects: a pulsed tissue Doppler study Eur J Echocardiogr, March 1, 2008; 9(2): 241 - 249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J.-M. Tartiere, D. Logeart, L. Tartiere-Kesri, and A. Cohen-Solal Colour tissue Doppler underestimates myocardial velocity as compared to spectral tissue Doppler: Poor reliability between both methods Eur J Echocardiogr, March 1, 2008; 9(2): 268 - 272. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. J. Lester, A. J. Tajik, R. A. Nishimura, J. K. Oh, B. K. Khandheria, and J. B. Seward Unlocking the Mysteries of Diastolic Function Deciphering the Rosetta Stone 10 Years Later. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., February 19, 2008; 51(7): 679 - 689. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Richardson-Lobbedez, S. Marechaux, C. Bauters, J. Darchis, J. L. Auffray, J. J. Bauchart, J. M. Aubert, T. H. LeJemtel, M. Lesenne, E. Van Belle, et al. Prognostic importance of tissue Doppler-derived diastolic function in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome: a bedside echocardiographic study Eur J Echocardiogr, February 7, 2008; (2008) jen005v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. A. Whalley, S. P. Wright, A. Pearl, G. D. Gamble, H. J. Walsh, M. Richards, and R. N. Doughty Prognostic role of echocardiography and brain natriuretic peptide in symptomatic breathless patients in the community Eur. Heart J., February 2, 2008; 29(4): 509 - 516. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. J. Kerr, O. C. Raffel, G. A. Whalley, I. Zeng, and R. A. Stewart Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide despite normal left ventricular function on rest and exercise stress echocardiography in mitral regurgitation Eur. Heart J., February 1, 2008; 29(3): 363 - 370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. J. Olson, A. M. Arruda-Olson, V. K. Somers, C. G. Scott, and B. D. Johnson Exercise Oscillatory Ventilation: Instability of Breathing Control Associated With Advanced Heart Failure Chest, February 1, 2008; 133(2): 474 - 481. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Choudhary, A. Palm-Leis, R. C. Scott III, R. S. Guleria, E. Rachut, K. M. Baker, and J. Pan All-trans retinoic acid prevents development of cardiac remodeling in aortic banded rats by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, February 1, 2008; 294(2): H633 - H644. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Mont, D. Tamborero, R. Elosua, I. Molina, B. Coll-Vinent, M. Sitges, B. Vidal, A. Scalise, A. Tejeira, A. Berruezo, et al. Physical activity, height, and left atrial size are independent risk factors for lone atrial fibrillation in middle-aged healthy individuals Europace, January 4, 2008; (2008) eum263v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Groban, L. M. Yamaleyeva, B. M. Westwood, T. T. Houle, M. Lin, D. W. Kitzman, and M. C. Chappell Progressive Diastolic Dysfunction in the Female mRen(2).Lewis Rat: Influence of Salt and Ovarian Hormones J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., January 1, 2008; 63(1): 3 - 11. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Strand, S.E. Kjeldsen, H. Gudmundsdottir, I. Os, G. Smith, and R. Bjornerheim Tissue Doppler imaging describes diastolic function in men prone to develop hypertension over twenty years Eur J Echocardiogr, January 1, 2008; 9(1): 34 - 39. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Acharya, J. Rasanen, K. Makikallio, T. Erkinaro, T. Kavasmaa, M. Haapsamo, L. Mertens, and J. C. Huhta Metabolic acidosis decreases fetal myocardial isovolumic velocities in a chronic sheep model of increased placental vascular resistance Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, January 1, 2008; 294(1): H498 - H504. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. B. Geske, P. Sorajja, R. A. Nishimura, and S. R. Ommen Evaluation of Left Ventricular Filling Pressures by Doppler Echocardiography in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Correlation With Direct Left Atrial Pressure Measurement at Cardiac Catheterization Circulation, December 4, 2007; 116(23): 2702 - 2708. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Codognotto, A. Piccoli, M. Zaninotto, M. Mion, M. Plebani, U. Vertolli, F. Tona, L. Ruzza, A. Barchita, and G. M. Boffa Renal Dysfunction Is a Confounder for Plasma Natriuretic Peptides in Detecting Heart Dysfunction in Uremic and Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathies Clin. Chem., December 1, 2007; 53(12): 2097 - 2104. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
|