Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy by Doppler tissue imaging

Objective To assess left ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) by Doppler tissue imaging(DTI) technique.Methods Thirty five patients with hypertension and LVH and 20 age matched healthy subjects as control group were included. Mitral valve flow spectra and pulmonary vein flow spectra were measured by pulsed Doppler ultrasound. DTI data were acquired from medium segments of interventricular septum and lateral wall as well as septum and lateral mitral anulus on apical four chamber views.Results Compared with control group, LVH group had lower peak early diastolic velocity (V E) and decreased V E/peak early diastolic velocity (V E/V A) ratio. There was no significant difference in systolic myocardial velocity between two groups. DTI diastolic index V E/V A was closely correlated to transmitral index E/A ratio.Conclusions DTI may be clinically useful in detecting LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension and LVH, especially in detecting a pseudonormalization pattern of mitral inflow.