Increased left ventricular mass is not associated with impaired left ventricular diastolic filling in normal individuals

Deague JA, Wilson CM, Grigg LE, Harrap SB (2000) Increased left ventricular mass is not associated with impaired left ventricular diastolic filling in normal individuals. J Hypertens 18:757-762

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy has been associated with diastolic dysfunction. However, the underlying physiological relationship between LV size and diastolic function remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between several measures of diastolic filling and LV mass in a population sample. METHODS: We used M-mode and Doppler echocardiography to compare left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and wall thickness with five measures of ventricular diastolic filling (ratio of the peak early mitral inflow velocity to the peak atrial mitral inflow velocity, deceleration time of early mitral inflow, isovolumetric relaxation time, ratio of the peak pulmonary venous systolic to diastolic flow and difference between the durations of the pulmonary venous and mitral inflow atrial waves) in 159 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: LVMI was significantly (P< 0.0001)="" greater="" in="" men="" (81.3="" g/m2,="" interquartile="" range:="" 67-94)="" than="" women="" (59.7="" g/m2,="" interquartile="" range:="" 49-74),="" but="" no="" gender="" differences="" were="" observed="" in="" diastolic="" filling.="" higher="" age,="" blood="" pressure="" and="" heart="" rate="" showed="" significant="" correlation="" with="" diminished="" diastolic="" filling.="" however,="" no="" measure="" of="" diastolic="" filling="" correlated="" with="" lvmi="" or="" wall="" thickness="" in="" either="" univariate="" or="" multiple="" regression="" analyses="" that="" adjusted="" for="" relevant="" covariates.="" conclusions:="" lvmi="" does="" not="" explain="" physiological="" differences="" in="" diastolic="" filling.="" the="" significant="" decline="" in="" diastolic="" filling="" with="" age="" reflects="" changes="" in="" the="" quality="" rather="" than="" the="" quantity="" of="" myocardial="">