Left atrioventricular plane displacement is related to both systolic and diastolic left ventricular performance in patients with chronic heart failure

Aims Left atrioventricular plane displacement is proposed ro reflect left v entricular systolic function and is strongly related to prognosis in patien ts with heart Failure. Left atrioventricular plane displacement is a differ ent measure of left ventricular function compared to ejection fraction, and the factors influencing left atrioventricular plane displacement ale insuf ficiently characterized. We wanted to assess any relationship between left atrioventricular plane displacement and left ventricular diastolic performa nce. Methods and Results Left ventricular diastolic filling, left atrioventricul ar plane displacement, and Fractional shortening were assessed by echocardi ography/Doppler in 54 patients with chronic heart failure (age 64 +/- 7 yea rs). Left atrioventricular plane displacement correlated significantly with Doppler variables of left ventricular filling. in particular the inverse l ogarithm of early transmitral flow deceleration time: log(-1) E-dt (r = - 0 .61, P < 0.0001, n = 54). Left atrioventricular plane displacement also cor related with fractional shortening (r = 0.49, P < 0.001. n = 50). How-ever, fractional shortening did not correlate with any Doppler variable. Log(-1) E-dt, fractional shortening, age, heart rate, left ventricular and atrial size, and degree of mitral regurgitation were included in a multiple regres sion analysis. Only log(-1) E-dt (P = 0.001) and fractional shortening (P = 0.03) correlated independently with left atrioventricular plane displaceme nt. Among patients with similar fractional shortening. those with more comp romised diastolic performance had lower left atrioventricular plane displac ement. Conclusion Left atrioventricular plane displacement was related to both sys tolic and diastolic left ventricular performance, which may explain some of the discrepancies between left atrioventricular plane displacement and eje ction fraction.