Prolonged mechanical systole and increased arterial wave reflections in diastolic dysfunction

Objective: To evaluate whether left ventricular ejection time indexed for heart rate ( left ventricular ejection time index (LVETI)) and arterial wave reflections ( augmented pressure (AP)) are increased in patients with diastolic dysfunction (DD). Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: University teaching hospital providing primary and tertiary care. Subjects: 235 consecutive patients undergoing left heart catheterisation were categorised as having definite DD, possible DD or no DD ( controls) on the basis of their left ventricular end diastolic pressures and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide concentrations. Main outcome measures: LVETI and AP were prospectively assessed non-invasively by radial applanation tonometry. In addition, all patients underwent comprehensive echocardiography, including tissue Doppler imaging of mitral annulus velocity in early diastole (E'). Results: LVETI was longer in patients with definite DD than in patients with possible DD and in controls (433.6 (SD 17.2), 425.9 (17.9) and 414.3 (13.6) ms, respectively, p < 0.000001). Arterial wave reflections were higher in definite DD than in possible DD and control groups ( AP was 19.4 (SD 8.9), 15.2 (8.0) and 10.7 (6.8) mm Hg, respectively, p < 0.000001). In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, LVETI detected DD as well as echocardiography (E:E'). Area under the curve for LVETI to differentiate patients with definite DD from normal controls was 0.81 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.89, p < 0.0001). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, LVETI added significant independent power to clinical and echocardiographic variables for prediction of DD. Conclusions: Mechanical systole is prolonged and arterial wave reflections are increased in most patients with DD. Rapid non-invasive assessment of these parameters may aid in confirming or excluding DD.