Response of the left ventricle in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy to postextrasystolic potentiation

Abstract

The effectiveness of postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP) was assessed to detect residual function of the left ventricle in seven patients with idiopathic diated cardiomyopathy (IDC). The postextrasystolic changes in the aortic pressure pulse, global left ventricular function, and quantitative regional left ventricular wall motion were investigated. PESP caused an increase in the peak systolic aortic pressure (116 ± 17 to 130 ± 25 mm Hg, p < 0.01), a decrease in the peak diastolic aortic pressure (74 ± 12 to 61 ± 11 mm Hg, p < 0.001), a decrease in preejection period/left ventricular ejection time (PEPLVET) ratio (0.637 ± 0.136 to 0.457 ± 0.097, p < 0.001), and an increase in the global left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (0.26 ± 0.09 to 0.40 ± 0.12, p < 0.01). Postextrasystolic changes in LVEF were inversely related to changes in PEPLVET (r = −0.76, p < 0.05). The postextrasystolic patterns of the regional wall motion of the left ventricle were different in each patient. The results of this study suggest that residual left ventricular function can be detected in patients with IDC by their response to PESP.