Evaluation of diastolic dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure by Doppler echocardiography

Objective To evaluate the diastolic dysfunction in patients with chronic left ventricular failure by Doppler echocardiography and try to pose a convenient method of evaluating the diastolic function. Methods Forty-six patients with chronic heart failure from Sep. to Dec. 2006 underwent assessments via Doppler echocardiography. Minnesota heart failure score of quality of life, six-minute walking test and New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade of heart failure. According to the diastolic function classification recommended by American Society of Echocardiography, the diastolic dysfunction is classified into 0-3 grades by comprehensive parameters of isovolu-metric relaxation time, mitral E/A ratio, E wave deceleration time, E/Em ratio, pulmonary vein S/D ratio and the peak value of Ar. Results All the 46 patients had diastolic dysfunction, including 30. 4% of grade 1, 56. 5% of grade 2 and 13. 0% of grade 3. Doppler's parameters, including left ventricular isovolumetric relaxation time, mitral valve E/A ratio, E/Em ratio and pulmonary vein S/D ratio, left atrial diameter, left atrial area, left ventricular end diastolic volume and diameter, mitral valve E wave and A wave, tissue Dopplar imaging (TDD mitral valve Am, velocity-time integral (VTI) of E wave and D wave of pulmonary vein showed significant differences among different diastolic dysfunction grades (P 0. 01, 0.05). There were no correlation among score of quality of life, six-minute walking distance or NYHA grade of diastolic dysfunction. Conclusions Diastolic dysfunction is present in varying degrees in chronic heart failure, but the diastolic dysfunction is not related to patients' clinical manifestations. Doppler echocardiography served as a noninvasive method can be used to evaluate the diastolic function comprehensively.