Assessment of Left Ventricular Stiffness in Primary Myocardial Disease and Coronary Artery Disease

66 patients, including 10 with normal ventricles, 34 with coronary artery disease (CAD), and 22 with primary myocardial disease (Type I: normal contraction patterns and elevated end-diastolic pressure; Type II: hypertrophy without obstruction; Type III: hypokinetic and/or asynergic).

Evaluation of stress-strain relations (left ventricular stiffness constant k and elastic stiffness at end diastole)

Comparison between normal ventricles, CAD, and different types of primary myocardial disease

Left ventricular stiffness constant (k) and elastic stiffness at end diastolesurrogate