Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide is related to systolic but not diastolic myocardial function

The relationship between plasma ANP and systolic and diastolic left ventricular myocardial function, as determined by echocardiography, was investigated. Thirty-one patients were examined 24 h after onset of acute myocardial infarction. The systolic parameters measured were: wall motion index (WMI), ejection fraction, systolic volume index and diastolic volume index. Diastolic function was evaluated by mitral flow analysis and isovolumic relaxation time. The following parameters were measured in the mitral flow: peak velocity of early flow, peak velocity of atrial flow, the earlylatrial ratio, deceleration rate of the early flow and atrial filling fraction. A blood sample was drawn from each patient for ANP analysis at the same time as the echocardiographic examination. A correlation between plasma-ANP and systolic function was found (ejection fraction: r = -0.60, P 0.10 for all the variables). We conclude that there is a significant correlation between plasma ANP and systolic function, as evaluated by echocardiography 24 h after AMI, whereas there was no corresponding relationship between plasma ANP and diastolic function.