Does the E/Ea ratio correlate with exercise capacity and predict exercise intolerance in patients undergoing maximal exercise testing?
Elevated left ventricular filling pressures, as estimated by E/Ea >=10, are strongly associated with reduced exercise capacity, whereas slow relaxation alone (E/A <1.0) is not.
BACKGROUND: A decreased ratio of early to late diastolic mitral inflow velocities (E/A or =10. Exercise capacity was similar in the population with a normal mitral inflow pattern and those with a slow relaxation pattern when E/Ea was or =10 had reduced exercise tolerance. Of all the echo and clinical parameters assessed, E/Ea had the best correlation with exercise capacity (r=-0.684, P or =10 have objective evidence of reduced exercise tolerance. These data suggest that elevated LV filling pressures rather than slow relaxation per se reduce exercise capacity.
Skaluba et al. (Tue,) studied this question.