Background: We aimed to investigate the role of long axis contraction in patients with asymptomatic chronic aorta regurgitation (AR).
Methods: In 84 consecutive patients (48 men, mean age 55.5 +/- 13.5 years) tissue Doppler imaging was performed. During catheterization, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and end-diastolic wall stress (EDWS) were calculated.
Results: The best predictor for group membership (exercise ejection fraction increase > or < of 5%) is the systolic wave maximal velocity (Sv) at the lateral mitral annulus (9 cm/s). Patients with Sv > 9 cm/s (45 patients) formed group I, while 39 patients with Sv < 9 cm/s formed group II. LVEDP and EDWS were higher in group II (15.5 +/- 1.9 mm Hg and 214.8 +/- 233.3 g/cm2) than in group I (10.3 +/- 1.7 mmHg and 111.8 +/- 40.8 g/cm2), P = .0001 and P = .01, respectively.
Conclusion: In patients with asymptomatic AR, the estimation of left ventricular long axis contraction at rest, can unmask a subnormal left ventricular functional status.