Prolonged impairment of left ventricular (LV) systolic function following exercise induced ischaemia has been well demonstrated. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of exercise induced ischaemia on the post-stress LV diastolic function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Seventy-four subjects with known or suspected CAD ...

BACKGROUND: Functional mitral regurgitation (MR) is common in patients with heart failure and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and its severity may vary over time, depending primarily on the loading conditions. Because dynamic changes in the severity of functional MR may affect forward stroke volume, we hypothesized that exercise-induced changes in ...

PURPOSE: 1) To determine the relations of left ventricular (LV) structure and function to total body composition, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and hemodynamics in obese children; 2) to determine the effects of 4-month of physical training (PT) on LV structure and function and hemodynamics; and 3) to explore determinants of ...

OBJECTIVE: To improve the assessment of the hemodynamic significance of borderline iliac stenoses (stenosis with a peak systolic velocity [PSV] ratio between 1.5 and 3.5) by means of hyperemic duplex scanning. The duplex ultrasound parameter-absolute increase in PSV across the stenosis after exercise (Delta PSV(e))-was studied prospectively. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ...

Maximum oxygen uptake also appears to correlate to athletic performance in horses. In the Thoroughbred industry, there has long been an empirical theory that heart size is related to athletic performance, despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting this assertion. To investigate the relationship between peak oxygen consumption (VO2max) and ...

We studied the relationship between left ventricular (LV) function and the increased LV mass in 18 highly trained rowing athletes (14 men, 4 women; mean age 20.7 +/- 4.5 years) using pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging (PWDTI). Thirteen untrained volunteers, matched for age and body mass index, acted as control ...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of atrial flutter (AFL) on exercise tolerance in patients with grown-up congenital heart (GUCH), exercise tests with modified Bruce protocol were performed in 20 patients aged 21 to 62 years with GUCH (11 females, 9 males) during symptomatic AFL and again 24 to 48 hours ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether Doppler evidence of impaired early diastolic relaxation during exercise is associated with lesser exercise capacity in hypertensive patients. DESIGN: Single center addition to the echocardiographic substudy in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint (LIFE) reduction in hypertension study. SETTING: University hospital out-patient clinic. METHODS: A total of ...

OBJECTIVES: We sought to define the prognostic implications of the extent and severity of exercise echocardiographic abnormalities in patients with good exercise capacity. BACKGROUND; The exercise capacity of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) is of prognostic importance, as is the extent of exercise-related left ventricular (LV) ...

OBJECTIVE: Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of prosthetic heart valve function is usually performed at rest although this situation is not representative of patients' daily activities. Following aortic valve replacement, patients most likely to remain symptomatic are those with a small aortic root and dobutamine or exercise echocardiography has been proposed to ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE STUDY: In order to provide patients with better exercise capacity, interventional therapy to the mitral valve is often carried out in mitral stenosis (MS). Hence, it is crucial to determine exercise capacity before deciding on the time of intervention. The study aim was to demonstrate ...

Left ventricular (LV) relaxation is crucial for LV function, especially during exercise. We compared the effects of increasing doses of ivabradine, a selective inward hyperpolarization-activated current inhibitor, and atenolol on the rate and extent of LV relaxation (best fit method: time constant tau(BF), pressure asymptote P(BF)) at rest and during ...

Diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) by exercise echocardiography is usually based on rest or exercise-induced regional wall-motion abnormalities. Mitral regurgitation (MR), left ventricular (LV) global systolic function, and LV inflow measurements can be assessed during exercise echocardiography; however, their diagnostic value has not been analyzed consistently. Treadmill exercise echocardiography ...

Resistance training (RT) is a popular method of conditioning to enhance sport performance as well as an effective form of exercise to attenuate the age-mediated decline in muscle strength and mass. Although the benefits of RT on skeletal muscle morphology and function are well established, its effect on left ventricular ...

AIMS: The aims of this study were first, to demonstrate that Peak Endocardial Acceleration during isovolumic systole (PEA I) is related to positive peak LVdP/dt, while Peak Endocardial Acceleration during isovolumic relaxation time (PEA II) is related to aortic diastolic pressure (ADP) and to negative peak LVdP/dt; and second, to ...

Fifteen elderly patients with normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function and New York Heart Association functional class II-III were studied. The effect of verapamil on LV diastolic function was assessed by congestive heart failure (CHF) score, treadmill exercise test, and Doppler echocardiography at baseline, and after each three-month treatment period ...

OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine the feasibility and reliability of quantifying mitral regurgitation (MR) during exercise by Doppler echocardiography in patients with heart failure and to assess the relationship between dynamic MR and systolic pulmonary artery pressure changes. BACKGROUND: The severity of MR can be quantified by using several echocardiographic ...

We hypothesized that a two-stage vascular delay procedure followed by 5 weeks of conditioning of the latissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) could benefit the heart during the training period and greatly increase cardiac assistance when examined with maximum potential. In mongrel dogs (n = 10), left ventricle (LV) dysfunction was induced ...

BACKGROUND: In patients with heart failure, biventricular pacing (BIV) improves left ventricular (LV) performance by counteracting LV unsynchronized contraction caused by the presence of left bundle branch block (LBBB). However, no data are yet available on regional long-axis function in patients with LBBB or on BIV effectiveness in improving such ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic value of exercise testing, valve area, and maximum transaortic pressure gradient in asymptomatic patients with aortic valve stenosis. SETTING: The outpatient service of a tertiary referral centre for cardiology. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. PATIENTS: 66 consecutive patients with isolated severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve area ...

BACKGROUND: Nonstented bioprostheses have been associated with lower resting gradients than stented bioprostheses or mechanical valves. We compared the hemodynamic performance of nonstented bioprostheses and mechanical valves with normal native aortic valves at rest and exercise. METHODS: Dobutamine echocardiography was used to assess gradients and effective orifice area index at ...

Currently available aortic valve prostheses have satisfactory hemodynamic performance during rest, but with exercise they possess different responses. The objective was to compare the hemodynamic response of the stentless porcine bioprosthesis (SP) and the mechanical bileaflet prosthesis (MB) at rest and during peak exercise using dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). DSE ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical utility of contrast-enhanced color Doppler US in the differentiation of retinal detachment (RD) from vitreous membrane (VM) with that of various conventional US modalities, and to analyze the enhancement patterns in cases showing an enhancement effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 32 eyes examined over a ...

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine if cardiac cycle-dependent changes in proximal thoracic aortic area and distensibility are associated with exercise intolerance in elderly patients with diastolic heart failure (DHF). BACKGROUND: Aortic compliance declines substantially with age. We hypothesized that a reduction in cardiac cycle-dependent changes in ...

BACKGROUND: Although subvalvular gradients in patients with aortic stenosis have been described, their behavior and response to exercise have not been well characterized. METHODS AND RESULTS: Left ventricular and aortic pressures and linear flow velocity were measured with a catheter-tip manometer at rest and during supine exercise in 27 patients ...

OBJECTIVE: The 'double-orifice' (DO) technique has been proposed to simplify mitral valve repair (MVRep) in particular settings of mitral insufficiency. However, the haemodynamic effects of such a redesigned valve are poorly documented, particularly during stress conditions. Thus, we sought to evaluate the haemodynamic changes during exercise conditions after the DO ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to clarify the serial changes in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) during dynamic exercise in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). BACKGROUND: Although HCM is characterized by impaired resting LV diastolic function, serial changes in LVEDP during exercise have not been characterized. METHODS: ...

BACKGROUND: In contrast to systolic function, which is relatively well preserved with advancing age, diastolic function declines steadily after age 30. Our goal was to determine whether changes in diastolic function that occur with aging could be reversed with exercise training. Methods and Results-- Adult (6-month-old) and old (24-month-old) Fischer ...

Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function are widely used to evaluate the cardiac function of patients with cardiac disease. However, there have been few reports about the relationship between Doppler indices and exercise capacity and so 44 patients with myocardial infarction were investigated by cardiopulmonary exercise testing ...

A subset of patients with mitral stenosis have symptoms out of proportion to the resting hemodynamics. Exercise Doppler echocardiography is a useful diagnostic modality to determine which patients are limited by their valve obstruction and would therefore benefit from percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. We analyzed 11 patients who showed a ...

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Factors influencing diastolic filling of the left ventricle may serve as critical determinants of both maximal cardiac output and oxygen uptake. This study was conducted to assess diastolic filling dynamics of the left ventricle during progressive upright cycle exercise in children. METHODS: Twelve boys aged 10 to 14 ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings in top water-polo athletes and test the hypothesis that their hearts exhibit dilatation associated with hypertrophy secondary to the mixed type (isotonic and isometric) of exercise they are subjected to. Eighteen athletes of the Greek national water-polo ...

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the influences of ventricular morphology, hemodynamics and clinical findings on exercise capacity in patients after the Fontan operation. BACKGROUND: Determinants of exercise capacity after the Fontan operation remain unclear. METHODS: Peak oxygen uptake (PVo2) was determined in 105 patients by exercise test and compared to hemodynamics ...

BACKGROUND: In studies generally involving short follow-up, exercise echocardiography has been shown to predict composite end points. We sought to study the prediction of mortality with this test and to devise a strategy for combination with standard exercise testing. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical, exercise testing, and echocardiographic data were collected ...

BACKGROUND: Patient-prosthesis mismatch is a frequent cause of high postoperative gradients in normally functioning prostheses. The objective of this study was to determine whether mismatch can be predicted at the time of operation. METHODS: Indices used to predict mismatch were valve size, indexed internal geometric area, and projected indexed effective ...

The purpose of this study was to assess the exercise capacity of patients treated with anthracycline and to evaluate the relation between the exercise capacity and a new Doppler index. The study patients consisted of 70 subjects: 41 healthy subjects and 29 who had been treated with various cumulative doses ...

This 55-year-old man with known rheumatic mitral valve disease is modestly disabled achieving a VO2max of 72% and a maximal power output of 76% of the predicted normal. His capacity to exercise is limited by dyspnea due to a reduction in his capacity to breathe. Ipratropium bromide was initiated to ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Rest, and especially exercise, hemodynamics are valuable determinants to assess outcome of the Ross procedure. In this study, the degree of insufficiency and pressure gradients at rest across the autograft and homograft, as well as the pressure gradients at exercise, were measured. METHODS: Among ...

Although exercise echocardiography has been widely used among adult patients, its application in the pediatric population has not been well explored. A few studies have examined the response of the pediatric left ventricle (LV) to exercise. However, although many congenital heart defects result in abnormalities of right ventricle (RV) anatomy ...

Pulmonary autograft aortic valve replacement (Ross procedure) is increasing in popularity, particularly in children and young adults. We performed a controlled study of pediatric and adult Ross procedure patients to evaluate postoperative exercise valvular hemodynamics and cardiac rhythm. Thirty-one patients and 24 controls underwent stress echocardiography. Doppler and 2-dimensional echocardiography ...

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to investigate whether the "warm-up" effect in angina protects against ischemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. BACKGROUND: After exercise, patients with coronary disease demonstrate persistent myocardial dysfunction, which may represent stunning, as well as warm-up protection against further angina, which may represent ischemic preconditioning. ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac function time intervals are known to change with aerobic fitness. Recently, the Tei index of cardiac function [defined as the sum of the isovolumetric contraction (ICI) and isovolumetric relaxation intervals (IRI) divided by the left ventricular ejection time (LVET)] has been proposed to be a very sensitive determinant ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess left ventricular (LV) wall motion in highly endurance-trained athletes to evaluate LV diastolic function in physiologically hypertrophied hearts. BACKGROUND: Diastolic filling dynamics have previously been examined in endurance-trained athletes by measuring pulsed-wave mitral inflow velocities during the early and atrial filling ...

BACKGROUND: Local cardiac renin-angiotensin systems may regulate left ventricular (LV) hypertrophic responses. The absence (deletion [D]) of a 287-bp marker in the ACE gene is associated with greater myocardial ACE levels and exercise-related LV growth than is its presence (insertion [I]), an effect potentially mediated through either increased activity of ...

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular cavity dimension, wall thickness, relaxation, and filling increase with exercise training and have a role in enhancing physical performance. We probed whether changes in diastole may develop separately from those in cardiac morphometry and still contribute to improve physical performance. Challenging diastole by preload reduction with standing ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound thrombolysis in occluded hemodialysis access shunts using an in vitro model. METHODS: Thrombosed hemodialysis accesses were simulated by clotted bovine blood in a flow model (silicone tubing; inner diameters 4, 6, and 9 mm). After retrograde and antegrade sheath placement (7 Fr), mechanical ...

Before and immediate (invasive examination) and long-term follow-up (4.5 year; echocardiography, exercise electrocardiography) studies after percutaneous transvenous mitral valvuloplasty (PTMV; Inoue technique) were prospectively performed in 123 consecutive patients with pure or dominant mitral stenosis. These patients consisted of two groups: Group A with suitable valve morphology (n = 108, ...

BACKGROUND: Nontraditional manifestations of primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) are controversial and may include morbidity, mortality, and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. This study evaluates cardiovascular functions at rest and during exercise in HPT. METHOD: Thirty patients with HPT (mean serum calcium, 2.97 +/- 0.24 mmol/L) and 30 control people with normocalcemia, ...

To determine whether endurance exercise training can alter the beta-adrenergic-stimulated inotropic response in older women, we studied 10 postmenopausal healthy women (65.4 +/- 0.9 yr old) who exercised for 11 mo. Left ventricular (LV) function was evaluated with two-dimensional echocardiography during infusion of isoproterenol after atropine. Maximal O(2) consumption increased ...

Tachycardia accompanying exercise shortens the duration of diastole, reducing the time available for the left ventricular (LV) filling. Thus, the LV must fill more rapidly for the stroke volume to increase (or even be maintained) during exercise. Normally, this is accomplished without requiring an excessive increase in left atrial (LA) ...