Key result
Older age in healthy individuals is associated with depressed long-axis systolic shortening and impaired ventricular relaxation, with early diastolic velocity strongly correlating with age.
Why the study?
Does age affect longitudinal left ventricular contraction and relaxation in healthy subjects?
Cross-Sectional (n=118)
Does age affect longitudinal left ventricular contraction and relaxation in healthy subjects?
Healthy aging is associated with selective impairment of the longitudinal component of systolic contraction and impaired ventricular relaxation, which may serve as useful indices of normal cardiac aging.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Age-related LV longitudinal changes warrant age-adjusted echo norms in older adults; leaves open their validation as indices of healthy cardiac aging.
BACKGROUND: Abnormalities of longitudinal left ventricular (LV) contraction and relaxation may be early markers of cardiac disease. This study was designed to assess the relationship between long-axis LV function and age in healthy subjects. METHODS: 118 healthy individuals aged 57 +/-19 years (range 20-90 years) with no evidence of cardiovascular disease under-went echocardiography with Doppler examination of transmitral flow. To assess longitudinal LV function, systolic (S(m)), early diastolic (E(m)) and late diastolic (A(m)) mitral annular velocities were measured using colour-coded tissue Doppler imaging. RESULTS: The left atrium was enlarged (P<0.001) in subjects >/=60 years of age compared to those <60 years, but there were no differences in LV volumetric indices and ejection fraction. Peak E velocity was lower (P<0.001) and peak A velocity of transmitral flow was higher in older subjects (P<0.001) with a higher E/A ratio (P<0.001) and longer isovolumic relaxation time (P= 0.001) indicative of impaired ventricular relaxation. S m and E m mitral annular velocities decreased (P<0.001) and A m velocity increased (P=0.002) in the older group. E m velocity and E m /A m ratio showed a strong negative correlation with age (r= -0.80, P<0.001 and r=-0.78, P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Global LV systolic function is preserved but the velocity of long-axis systolic shortening is depressed in older individuals, indicating selective impairment of the longitudinal component of systolic contraction. The decline in the velocity of early diastolic long-axis LV lengthening and the changes in the pattern of transmitral flow suggest impaired ventricular relaxation. These measures of cardiac function may be a useful index of normal cardiac ageing.
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Nikitin et al. (2005) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=118). Older age (≥60 years) vs. Younger age (<60 years) was evaluated on Longitudinal LV function (early diastolic mitral annular velocity, Em) (r=-0.80, p=<0.001). Older age in healthy individuals is associated with depressed long-axis systolic shortening and impaired ventricular relaxation, with early diastolic velocity strongly correlating with age.
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