Pulsed Wave Tissue Doppler Velocities Research Articles

Exercise-induced changes of left ventricular diastolic function in postmenopausal amateur marathon runners: assessment by echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers

Diastolic dysfunction is common among elderly women. Recently, concerns regarding marathon-induced myocardial damage were raised among young male runners. The goal of our study was to assess the impact of marathon running on systolic and diastolic ventricular function before and immediately after completing a marathon among postmenopausal well-trained amateur women. A total of 89 female runners of the Berlin Marathon were included (35 postmenopausal and 54 premenopausal female controls) and examined before, immediately, and 2 weeks after the race by echocardiography (including tissue Doppler- and 2D strain speckle tracking) and underwent blood tests. After the marathon, there was a significant increase in E/E' (postmenopausal 8.5 ± 2.3 vs. 10.9 ± 3.2 post race; control: 8.1 ± 1.8 vs. 9.9 ± 2.9 post race, p < 0.001) and a decrease in E/A in both groups (postmenopausal 1.3 ± 0.36 vs. 0.9 ± 0.21 post race; control 1.7 ± 0.6 vs. 1.1 ± 0.3; p < 0.001). In contrast, regardless of the hormonal status the atrial contraction increased significantly. Left and right ventricular systolic contractility, as assessed by speckle tracking and pulsed-wave tissue Doppler velocities, showed a significant increase in both groups. Of all runners, 55 (61.8%) experienced increases in troponin T and/or N-terminal-B-type natriuretic peptide after the race. All echocardiographic and laboratory parameters returned to normal within 2 weeks. 2D strain analysis of the left and right ventricles showed an acute improvement of the systolic function after marathon running in pre- and postmenopausal well-trained women. There were no long lasting detrimental effects on the diastolic function.

Analysis of athletes’ heart by tissue Doppler and strain/strain rate imaging

After regular and prolonged training, some physical and structural changes occur in the heart. Strain (S) imaging and Strain Rate (SR) imaging are new and effective techniques derived from tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) which examine systolic and diastolic functions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate left ventricular TDI and S/SR imaging properties in athletes and sedentary controls. The study population consisted of 26 highly trained athletes (group I) and age, sex and body mass index (BMI) adjusted 23 control subjects (group II) who had no pathological conditions. Using standard transthoracic and Doppler echocardiographical measurements and reconstructed spectral pulsed wave tissue Doppler velocities, the S/SR imaging of six different myocardial regions were evaluated. There was a significant increase in left ventricular systolic (LVSD) and diastolic (LVDD) diameter, inter-ventricular septum (IVS), left ventricular mass (LVm), left atrial diameter (LA), and transmitral Doppler peak E velocity (flow velocity in early diastole) between group I and group II in the case of echocardiographic findings. In athletes, TDI analysis showed a significantly increased mitral annulus lateral TDI peak early diastolic (E) velocity (18.8 ± 4.1 cm/s vs. 15 ± 3.5 cm/s, P < 0.01), septal TDI peak E velocity (15.8 ± 2.8 cm/s vs. 12.8 ± 2.4 P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in myocardial velocity imaging parameters between group I and group II. Peak systolic strain/strain rates of septal and lateral walls in group I were significantly higher than group II. This study demonstrates that left ventricular S/SR imaging was higher in athletes than in healthy subjects. In addition to traditional echocardiographic parameters, SI/SRI could be utilised as a useful echocardiographic method for cardiac functions of athletes.

Effect of Obesity on Left Ventricular Structure and Myocardial Systolic Function: Assesment by Tissue Doppler Imaging and Strain/Strain Rate Imaging

Obesity is associated with heart failure, cardiovascular morbidity, and mortality. A direct effect of weight on left ventricle (LV) structure and myocardial function is not well-established. The aim of our study is to determine the effect of obesity on LV morphology and systolic function by using LV standard Doppler echocardiographic indices, myocardial Doppler imaging and strain/strain rate imaging indices. We studied 33 obese and 34 age, sex-adjusted control subjects who had no other pathological conditions. Standard transthoracic Doppler echocardiographical measurements, reconstructed spectral pulsed wave tissue Doppler velocities, strain and strain rate imaging of six different myocardial regions were obtained. Peak systolic velocity (SR), peak systolic strain (I), peak systolic strain rate (SR) for each region and as a global systolic longitidunal LV function mean of peak systolic strain of six myocardial regions (glsca) were compared. Age, body surface area, blood pressure, and heart rate were comparable between the two groups. Obese subjects had significantly increased LV end-diastolic volume, septal wall thickness, left atrial diameter, and decreased transmitral early to late diastolic velocity ratio. In obese subjects, reconstructed spectral pulsed-wave tissue Doppler analysis showed significantly decreased basal lateral peak systolic (Sm) velocity (6.68 +/- 1.89 vs. 8.08 +/- 2.50, P < 0.05), mid lateral Sm (5.01 +/- 2.17 vs. 6.78 +/- 3.22, P < 0.05). Differences in regional strain rate (mid septal SR, 1.45 +/- 0.23 vs. 1.63 +/- 0.18, P < 0.05), regional strain (basal septum I, 19.13 +/- 3.83 vs. 22.09 +/- 4.60, P < 0.05; mid-septum I, 18.03 +/- 2.91 vs. 20.25 +/- 4.77, P < 0.05; radial I, 27.50 +/- 7.32 vs. 35.53 +/- 9.48, P < 0.05), and global strain (glsca, 19.38 +/- 1.34 vs. 21.24 +/- 2.82, P < 0.05) were identified between obese and the referent subjects. Obesity is associated with morphologic alterations in left ventricle and left atrium and subclinical changes in left ventricle systolic function which can be detected by strain and strain rate imaging even without overt heart disease.

Left ventricular function in professional football players evaluated by tissue Doppler imaging and strain imaging

Long-term regular exercise is associated with physiologic and morphologic cardiac alterations. Tissue Doppler Imaging(TDI) and Strain Myocardial Imaging(SI) are new tools in the evaluation systolic and diastolic myocardial function. We sought to compare TDI and SI findings in professional football players and age adjusted sedentary controls to assess the effect of regular athletic training on myocardial function. Transthoracic echocardiography, M-mode, 2-D measurements, Doppler derived mitral-tricuspid annular velocities, reconstructed spectral pulsed wave tissue Doppler velocities, strain and strain rate imaging of seven different myocardial regions were obtained from 24 professional football players and age, sex and weight adjusted 20 controls. Age, body surface area, blood pressure and heart rate were comparable between 2 groups. Football players had significantly increased LV mass, mass index (due to both higher wall thickness and end-diastolic diameter), end-systolic and end-diastolic volume, left atrial diameter and decreased transmitral diastolic late velocity. In athletes TDI analysis showed significantly increased mitral annulus septal TDI peak early diastolic(e) velocity(0.22 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.19 +/- 0.04 m/s, P < 0.05), lateral TDI peak e velocity (0.19 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.16 +/- 0.02 m/s, P < 0.05) and lateral TDI e/a ratio (1.96 +/- 0.41 and 1.66 +/- 0.23, P < 0.05). In SI analysis mid septal walls (1.71 +/- 0.23 in athletes and 1.49 +/- 0.25 in controls, P < 0.05) and mid lateral walls (1.55 +/- 0.28 and 1.34 +/- 0.25 respectively, P < 0.05) peak systolic strain rate values differences were found to be increased in athletes. Professional football playing is associated with morphologic alteration in left ventricle and left atrium and improvement in left ventricle diastolic function which can be detected by TDI. Strain rate imaging may be a new tool to define subtle change in systolic left ventricular function in "athletes heart" which cannot be determined in standard echocardiographic parameters.

Tissue Doppler velocities of mitral annulus and NT‐proBNP in patients with heart failure

It has been shown that pulsed wave tissue Doppler velocities of mitral annulus correlate well with left ventricular (LV) diastolic and systolic functions. It is not yet clear whether these velocities can be used to estimate left ventricular dysfunction in an unselected population of patients with clinical signs and symptoms of heart failure (HF). To determine whether LV mitral annulus velocities measured by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) correlate with plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in patients with HF. Early diastolic (E(m)) and systolic (S(m)) TDI velocities of septal and lateral mitral annulus were measured in 50 patients with HF together with other conventional echocardiographic parameters, and compared with plasma NT-proBNP levels. Significant correlations were found between NT-proBNP level and E(m) velocity (r=-0.79), S(m) velocity (r=-0.43), early transmitral to E(m) velocity ratio (r=0.38), LV end diastolic diameter (r=0.29), LV ejection fraction (r=-0.44) and tricuspid regurgitant velocity (r=0.31). In multiple regression model (R(2)=0.733), the E(m) velocity was the most important predictor of NT-proBNP level. Early diastolic mitral annulus velocity measured by TDI correlates strongly with plasma NT-proBNP levels, and provides a simple, accurate and reproducible echocardiographic index of heart failure.