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

Objective To explore the value of Doppler tissue imaging(DTI) in assessing the left ventricular diastolic function by detecting mitral annular velocity in diastole in patients with hypertension.Methods Eighty-two patients with hypertension and 101 health subjects were studied.The patients were divided into two groups:35 cases with left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) and 47 cases without left ventricular hypertrophy(non-LVH).Mitral annular velocity in early and late diastole at posterior septum(e_1,a_1) and lateral wall(e_2,a_2)were measured by DTI in health subjects and patients.Mitral inflow velocity E,A and E/A ratio were detected.The systolic velocity(PVS),diastolic velocity(PVD),atrial systolic retrograde velocity(PvaV) and time(PvaT) in right superior pulmonary vein were also measured.Results (1)The e_1,e_2,e_1/a_1,e_2/a_2 of hypertensive patients in non-LVH and LVH were lower than those of health subjects(P0.01).(2)E and E/A in non-LVH and LVH were lower than those of health subjects(P0.05,P0.01,separately),but A was higher than that of health subjects(P0.05),e_1/a_1 and e_2/a_2 were positively correlated with E/A in non-LVH and LVH(r=0.65,r=0.76,r=0.56,r=0.64,P0.01).(3) S/D in non-LVH and LVH were higher than that of health subjects(P0.05,P0.01,separately),PvaV and PvaT in LVH and non-LVH were higher than those of non-LVH and health subjects(allP0.01).Conclusion Measurement of mitral annular velocities by Doppler tissue imaging(DTI)can evaluate objectively left ventricular diastolic function and enhance the accuracy of diagnosis by integrating pulmonary vein parameter in patients with hypertension.