Determinants of preserved diastolic function at the lateral annulus in patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction.

AIMS: The reversal of the early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e') to the late diastolic mitral annular velocity (a') ratio (e'/a' <1) develops earlier in the septum than in the lateral mitral annulus on tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Accordingly, patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction presenting as a reversed septal e'/a' ratio can be divided into two groups depending on the presence of a reversal of lateral e'/a'. The aim of this study was to identify the determinants of preserved diastolic function at the lateral annulus in patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1166 consecutive patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction presenting as a reversed septal e'/a' were classified on the basis of their diastolic function at the lateral mitral annulus. Two hundred and fifteen patients had a preserved lateral e'/a' (e'/a' >1) and 915 patients had a reversed lateral e'/a' (e'/a' <1). Patients with lateral e'/a' >1 were younger, male, and had a lower prevalence of diabetes and hypertension and showed less evidence of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction and structural remodelling as LV hypertrophy and LA enlargement, than those with a lateral e'/a' <1. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, septal e', septal peak systolic annular velocity, and LV mass indexed to height(2.7) (LVM/h(2.7)) were independently associated with preserved diastolic function at the lateral annulus.

CONCLUSION: The age, septal TDI, and LVM/h(2.7) were independent determinants of preserved diastolic function at the lateral annulus in patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction presenting as a reversed septal e'/a' ratio.