Clinical features and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in heart failure patients with normal ejection fraction

Abstract

100 inpatients with heart failure were divided into two groups: 50 with preserved LVEF and 50 with reduced LVEF. Another 50 age-matched healthy subjects served as the control group. The severity and etiology of heart failure, tissue Doppler imaging indexes (Sm;Ea;Aa;E/Ea) and plasma BNP concentrations were compared among the three groups. There was no difference in terms of NYHA classification between groups of preserved LVEF and reduced LVEF. Hypertension and DM are more common in the group of preserved LVEF. The index of Sm decreased most significantly in the group of reduced LVEF, and was negatively correlated with the BNP concentration (r = -0. 35, P ＜ 0. 05 ). The ratio of E/Ea increased gradually among the three groups, and was positively correlated with the BNP concentration ( r = 0. 728, P ＜ 0. 05 ). The LV filling index E/Ea and the BNP concentration may be helpful in the diagnosis of heart failure patients with preserved LVEF. Key words: Heart failure ; Ventricular function,Left ; Echocardiography ;