Effects of aging on asynchronous left ventricular regional function and global ventricular filling in normal human subjects

Robert O. Bonow*, Dino F. Vitale, Stephen L. Bacharach, Barry J. Maron, Michael V. Green

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

134 Scopus citations

Abstract

In many patients with coronary artery disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, reduced left ventricular rapid diastolic filling is related to asynchronous left ventricular regional diastolic function. Because left ventricular filling also declines with aging in normal subjects, in this study the influence of regional ventricular diastolic asynchrony on global ventricular filling as a function of age was investigated in 66 normal volunteers aged 19 to 77 years (mean 42) by radionuclide angiography. No subject had systemic hypertension or left ventricular hypertrophy. Indexes of left ventricular systolic function at rest did not vary with age, but rapid diastolic filling significantly declined with age: peak filling rate decreased (r = 0.69), time to peak filling rate increased (r = 0.53) and magnitude of rapid filling (% of left ventricular end-diastolic volume) decreased (r = 0.76) with aging. Left ventricular synchrony was assessed from regional volume curves derived by dividing the global ventricular region of interest into four quadrants. Indexes of systolic synchrony were unaffected by age, but regional variation in time to peak filling rate, an index of diastolic asynchrony, increased with aging (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). Moreover, variation in time to peak filling rate correlated with global peak filling rate and magnitude of rapid filling (r = 0.48 and 0.54, p < 0.001 for both). Multivariate analysis indicated that these effects were independent of age-related changes in blood pressure. Thus, aging alters left ventricular diastolic function, with reduced rate and extent of the rapid filling phase related to increased regional diastolic asynchrony. These findings suggest that, as in patients with coronary artery disease or hypertrophie cardiomyopathy, the severity of diastolic asynchrony may contribute importantly to impaired global left ventricular diastolic filling during the course of the normal aging process.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)50-58
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1988

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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