Relationship between Doppler-derived left ventricular diastolic function and exercise capacity in patients with myocardial infarction

Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular (LV) diastolic functi on are widely used to evaluate the cardiac function of patients with cardia c disease. However, there have been few reports about the relationship betw een Doppler indices and exercise capacity and so 44 patients with myocardia l infarction were investigated by cardiopulmonary exercise testing and 2-D and Doppler echocardiography. Diastolic performance was assessed using Dopp ler transmitral flow velocity and pulmonary venous flow velocity. The ratio of peak E wave velocity and peak A wave velocity (E/A) correlated with pea k oxygen consumption (peak (V)over dotO(2)) (R=0.72), and there was a negat ive correlation between the deceleration time of E velocity (Dct) and peak (V)over dotO(2) or anaerobic threshold (AT) (R= -0.65, -0.62, respectively) . The ratio of peak S wave velocity and peak D wave velocity (S/D) negative ly correlated with peak (V)over dotO(2) (R=-0.58). Left ventricular ejectio n fraction did not correlate to exercise capacity. These results suggest th at the Doppler echocardiographic indices of LV diastolic function correlate with exercise capacity in patients with mild cardiac dysfunction.