Longitudinal plane colour tissue-Doppler myocardial velocities and their association with left ventricular length, volume, and mass in humans

Abstract

Aims We investigated the relationships between colour tissue-Doppler parameters of left ventricular (LV) function and indices of LV morphology. Methods and results LV length, end-diastolic volume, and mass were assessed in 40 healthy adult subjects. Further, colour tissue-Doppler scans assessed peak myocardial velocities during systole (S′) and early diastole (E′) as well as acceleration during isovolumic contraction (IVCa) at the mitral annulus. Non-linear allometric relationships ( Y = aXb ) were calculated to provide size exponents ( b ), with 95% confidence intervals, for tissue-Doppler variables ( Y ) and LV morphology parameters ( X ). The b exponents for LV length with Peaks S′ and E′ were not substantially different from unity ( b = 0.87 and 0.95, respectively, P > 0.05). Peak E′ was also associated with LV volume ( b = 0.39, r = 0.53, P < 0.05). IVCa was not related to any LV morphology parameter. Conclusion Peak S′ or E′ divided by LV length was confirmed as a valid size-independent scaling index. Conversely, IVCa is seemingly size independent.