To investigate left ventricular (LV) regional diastolic function in effort angina pectoris (AP), we performed left ventriculography in 14 patients with AP and isolated left anterior descending artery disease and in 9 normal subjects (N). LV volume (V), regional area (S) [anterior, apex, and inferior], and the first derivative of V and S (dV/dt, dS/dt) were derived from analysis of the left ventriculogram. Normalized peak filling rate (nPFR) and peak atrial filling rate (nPAFR) were derived from dV/dt. The ratio of filling volume to stroke volume during rapid filling and atrial contraction were defined as rapid filling fraction (RFF) and atrial filling fraction (AFF). Similarly, peak area changing rate (PACR), peak area changing rate during atrial contraction (PACRac), rapid area changing fraction (RACF), and atrial area changing fraction (AACF) were derived from S and dS/dt. We also calculated the time constant of LV relaxation (T), and LV global and regional compliance during atrial contraction [(dV/VdP)ac, (dS/SdP)ac]. The LV global diastolic function (T increases, nPFR decreases) was impaired in the angina patients. LV regional diastolic function (nPACR decreases, RACF decreases) was also impaired in the affected region of the AP group. While their rapid filling was impaired, nPACRac was maintained and AACF was increased in the affected region. Furthermore, nPACR and RACF each showed a significant inverse correlation with AACF in the anterior region [r = -0.57 (P < 0.01), r = -0.92 (P < 0.001)]. In the affected region of the patients with AP, (dS/SdP)ac was increased, but not significantly. Thus, LV global and regional diastolic functions were simultaneously impaired in patients with isolated left anterior descending artery disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)