ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Diastolic dysfunction is considered as the most important cause of heart failure and morbidity in hypertensives. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the transmitral diastolic color M-mode flow propagation velocity (FPV) and left ventricular relaxation by using Doppler echocardiography. METHODS: In the present study, thirty-nine patients (21 male, 58.3%, age mean 52.7+/-5.9 years) with hypertension stage-I and over, were included. Transmitral diastolic E and A velocities, E-deceleration time (DT) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) were measured by pulse Doppler method. We performed color M-mode technique for measurement of FPV of transmitral diastolic flow in the apical four-chamber view. We measured slope of aliasing velocity (blue aliasing) determined by color M-mode images. RESULTS: Flow propagation velocity values were not statistically related with age and gender, whereas differentiation of age groups were estimated as poor parabolic relationship, specially in patients over fifty years, FPV is estimated to be decreasing. Color M-mode FPV is correlated with DT, (r=-0.715, p<0.01), IVRT (r=-0.736, p<0.01) and interventricular septum thickness (r=-0.498, p<0.01), but not correlated with E/A ratio. CONCLUSION: Color M-mode FPV is correlated with DT and IVRT, which are important parameters for evaluation of diastolic function in hypertensive patients. This parameter is related with left ventricular relaxation and should be considered as a routine echocardiographic evaluation, because it is not affected by minimal changes in left ventricular filling pressure.