Prognostic value of Doppler echocardiographic coronary flow velocity assessment at rest in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) are a common condition and cause of death in the elderly population. There are difficulties with risk assessment in the elderly as the objectification of their symptomatic status can be challenging due to neuromuscular weakness, physical deconditioning or neurological, orthopaedic, peripheral vascular, or respiratory limitations. Non-invasive coronary artery velocity assessment by Doppler method at rest could be helpful in the elderly population. To evaluate the prognostic role of coronary artery ultrasound assessment in a non-selected elderly population in everyday clinical practice. METHODS: One hundred forty-five patients, aged ≥75years (99 women; 80 ± 4 years), formed the study group. Left coronary artery flows were scanned in addition to conventional echocardiography. During a median follow-up of 26 months, 16 deaths and 2 non-fatal MI occurred. RESULTS: In multivariable analysis, maximal coronary velocity was the only independent predictor for mortality (heart rate [HR]: 1.02, 95%, CI: 1.01-1.04, p < .0005) and for mortality/MI (HR: 1.02, 95%, CI: 1.01-1.03, p < .0001). The value of 110 cm/s maximal coronary flow velocity (CFL) in the proximal segments of left arteries was the best predictor for death, sensitivity 50%, specificity 90%, p < .005. The annual mortality rate was 16.6% persons/year for patients with elevated CFL ≥110 cm/s. The value 81 cm/s was the best predictor for death/MI, sensitivity 61%, specificity 80%, p < .0005; annual mortality rate was 11.2% persons/year for patients with elevated CFL ≥81 cm/s (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Doppler CFL scanning during routine echocardiography is a feasible and valuable tool for assessment of short-term prognosis in elderly patients.

The role of exercise echocardiography in the diagnostics of heart failure with normal left ventricular ejection fraction.

AIMS: Few data are available on the exercise-induced abnormalities of myocardial function in patients with exertional dyspnoea and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF). The main aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of isolated exercise-induced heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) and to assess whether disturbances in LV or right ventricular longitudinal systolic function are associated with the diagnosis of HFNEF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-four patients with exertional dyspnoea and normal LV EF and 14 healthy controls underwent spirometry, NT-proBNP plasma analysis, and exercise echocardiography. Doppler LV inflow and tissue mitral and tricuspid annular velocities were analysed at rest and immediately after the termination of exercise. Of the 30 patients with the evidence of HFNEF, 6 (20%) patients had only isolated exercise-induced HFNEF. When compared with the remaining patients, those with HFNEF had a significantly lower resting and exercise peak mitral annular systolic velocity (Sa) and the mitral annular velocity during atrial contraction, lower exercise peak mitral annular velocity at early diastole, and lower exercise peak systolic velocity of tricuspid annular motion. The multivariate logistic regression analysis including both parameters standardly defining HFNEF and the new Doppler variables potentially associated with the diagnosis of HFNEF revealed that NT-proBNP, LV mass index, left atrial volume index, and Sa significantly and independently predict the diagnosis of HFNEF. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of patients require exercise to diagnose HFNEF. Sa appears to be a significant independent predictor of HFNEF, which may increase the diagnostic value of models utilizing the variables recommended by the European Society of Cardiology guidelines.