Ultrasonic integrated backscatter as an indicator of left ventricular diastolic function in hypertensive patients

AIM: To study the relationship between averaged cyclic variation in integrated backscatter (ACVIB) and the diastolic function of left ventricle in patients with hypertension and to explore the feasibility of using ACVIB as an indicator of left ventricular diastolic function. METHODS: By means of IBS, left posterior ventricular myocardial CVIB was measured in 117 essential hypertensive patients and 30 normal subjects as control group. The left ventricular function was measured at the same time with 2-DE, PW, PW-DTI and color M-mode echocardiography. RESULTS: Essential hypertension patients were divided into 4 groups according to E/A, IVRT and DT: normal diastolic function (group 1, n=34), delayed relaxation pattern (group 2, n=28), pseudonormal filling pattern (group 3, n=36) and left ventricular restrictive filling pattern (group4, n=19). There was no difference in ACVIB between patients with normal diastolic function and the controls. ACVIB decreased gradually in patients with abnormal diastolic function. ACVIB of left ventricle was significantly correlated with Ea, Ea/Aa and Vp (r=0.66, 0.72, 0.70, P0.01). CONCLUSION: There is an association between the diminished ACVIB and the deterioration of diastolic function in hypertensive patients. Alterations in this parameter may be useful for the assessment of diastolic dysfunction in hypertension.