[Noninvasive determination of left ventricular diastolic filling parameters using Doppler echocardiography before and after coronary angioplasty (PTCA)].

Impaired ventricular diastolic filling may be an early sign of myocardial ischemia. To study the influence of coronary angioplasty (PTCA) on diastolic filling, 40 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) were studied by pulsed two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography (2DDE) before and after PTCA. In six patients PTCA was not successful and 2DDE indices of ventricular filling did not change significantly. In 34 patients with successful PTCA, peak early diastolic velocity (E) increased by 8.5% (p less than 0.03), the ratio (E/A) of peak early vs peak late diastolic velocity by 11.2% (p less than 0.005) and the diastolic filling time per minute (diast.-t/min) by 4.6% (p less than 0.01). In patients with impaired diastolic filling before PTCA (group I, n = 28) the changes in diastolic filling were even more pronounced. Patients with unimpaired diastolic filling properties before PTCA did not show significant alterations (group II, n = 6). Seventeen patients were examined 3 h and 24 h after PTCA. The changes in diastolic filling parameters apparent already 3 h after PTCA were even more pronounced after 24 h. According to these data, PTCA improves left ventricular diastolic filling. These changes are more pronounced 24 h compared to 3 h after PTCA.