Influence of posture on left ventricular long- and short-axis shortening

End-diastolic volume and left ventricular stroke volume are increased in the supine compared with upright position, but the contribution of long-axis (LAS) and short-axis shortening (SAS) to these changes with change in posture has not been established. We examined long- and short-axis motion and dimensions with echocardiography in 10 healthy subjects in the upright and supine position. Long-axis length at end diastole was almost identical, whereas the diastolic short-axis diameter was increased in the supine position. At end systole, there was a decreased long- axis length and increased short-axis length in the supine vs. upright position. Both LAS and SAS were enhanced in supine vs. upright positions [LAS: 9.3 +/- 2.2 vs. 15.1 +/- 3.1 mm (P < 0.001); SAS: 12.7 +/- 3.2 vs. 16.3 +/- 2.8 mm (P < 0.001)], presumably via Starling mechanisms. LAS increased more in the lateral part of the mitral annulus than in the septal part [7.7 +/- 2.6 vs. 4.0 +/- 2.8 mm (P < 0.006)], which implies that the more spherical form, in the supine position, induces more stretch at the lateral free wall than in the ventricular septum. These findings support the notion that Starling mechanisms affect systolic LAS.