Cardiac MRI Reveals Late Diastolic Changes in Left Ventricular Relaxation Patterns During Healthy Aging

Background: Cardiac MRI is an emerging modality for evaluating left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), a pathological condition that is prevalent in aging populations. However, there is a lack of reports of MRI-derived LV diastolic properties in late diastole. Purpose: To test the hypothesis that cine MRI-derived motion/deformation indices can be used to characterize age-related changes on LV relaxation patterns in late diastole. Study Type: Retrospective. Population: In all, 412 participants (72.5 ± 4.6 years old, range 65–84) without a documented history of cardiovascular diseases. Field Strength/Sequence: Balanced steady-state free precession(bSSFP) acquired at 1.5T. Assessment: Participants were divided into younger (65–74 years old, n = 275) and older (75–84 years old, n = 137) groups. Status of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and lipid disorders were recorded for each participant. Cine MRI datasets were analyzed by using heart deformation analysis (HDA). LV motion/deformation indices (displacement, velocity, strain, and strain rate) were measured through 22 phases within a cardiac cycle. Statistical Tests: The prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk conditions, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), peak LV regional displacement, velocity, and strain rates at early and late diastole were compared between two participant groups using chi-square tests or t-tests. Results: Older participants had a significantly lower peak early radial displacement (0.797 ± 0.249 cm vs. 0.876 ± 0.286 cm), radial velocity (19.3 ± 6.3 mm/s vs. 17.5 ± 5.2 mm/s), and circumferential strain rate (64.6 ± 15.7%/s vs. 70.1 ± 17%/s) but a higher peak late circumferential strain rate (69.8 ± 16.3 %/s vs. 66 ± 15.8 %/s) than their younger counterparts. Data Conclusion: Cine MRI can be used to characterize age-related LV relaxation patterns in late diastole. Level of Evidence: 3. Technical Efficacy Stage: 1.