ABSTRACT
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the ability of cine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to help detect and quantity changes in left ventricular parameters in patients receiving antihypertensive therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After undergoing baseline cine MR imaging of the heart, 16 (12 men, four women) hypertensive patients participating in a prospective drug trial began isradipine therapy. Follow-up serial cine MR imaging was performed at 3 months and 6 months. Myocardial mass, end-systolic volume, end-diastolic volume, stroke volume, and ejection fraction were measured. Results from transaxially acquired three-dimensional data sets and monoplanar imaging were compared. RESULTS: Three dimensional data showed reductions of 11% in end-systolic volume (P = .0051) and 17% in end-diastolic volume (P = .0023). These changes were not detected with monoplanar imaging. Changes in myocardial mass, stroke volume, and ejection fraction were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional cine MR imaging can depict small yet statistically significant reductions in left ventricular volumes in response to antihypertensive therapy.
