Influence of age and gender on Doppler index of diastolic function in Chinese hypertensive patients

This paper explores age- and gender-specific changes in Doppler echocardiographic index-E' of left ventricular diastolic function. The study involved 366 hypertensive patients (197 men and 169 women) who were aged from 20 to 90 years (mean 58.60 +/- A 15.68 years), without a diagnosis of any other disease. Early diastolic mitral inflow velocity (E), late diastolic mitral annular velocity (A), and E/A ratio were measured with pulse wave Doppler. Early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E') and E/E' ratios were measured with tissue Doppler imaging of lateral mitral annulus. Diastolic indices were highly correlated with age. Among those aged 20-29, E' was significantly higher in female than in male. In patients aged 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-79 years, E' was similar in both genders. Among those aged 80-89 years, E' was significantly lower in female than in male. Overall (n = 366) predictors of the lowest quartile of E' (E' < 8.00 cm/s) were age (P < 0.0001; chi (2) = 67.35; OR 1.28; 95 % CI 1.26-1.30) and female gender (P < 0.05; chi (2) = 5.76; OR 1.56; 95 % CI 1.19-1.94). Age-related changes in diastolic indices correlated with gender among hypertensive patients. Diastolic function deteriorated more significantly among elderly women compared with elderly men. The study may explain the increased incidence of diastolic heart failure in elderly women with hypertension.