Our study certified impaired left ventricular diastolic performance in patients with breast cancer treated with low total doses of epirubicin (< or = 450 mg/m2). We concluded that diastolic impairment is due to poor left ventricular compliance being an early marker of epirubicin cardiotoxicity that precedes systolic function alterations.

Anthracyclines confer an increased risk of cardiotoxicity. The authors evaluated left ventricular (LV) performance in patients treated with epirubicin. Sixty-eight patients with malignancies (study group), treated with epirubicin < or = 450 mg/m2, and a matched control group of 68 cancer patients who had not started chemotherapy were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography. The authors assessed LV diastolic function by measuring the transmitral flow: the maximal velocity of the E and A waves, the Emax/Amax ratio, the pressure half time of E wave (PHT), and the isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT). Global LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was estimated to determine the systolic performance. The authors documented alterations of the LV diastolic performance in the study group by finding a significant decrease in Emax, whereas Amax was significantly increased. Prolonged PHT and IVRT were also certified in the epirubicin-treated group compared with controls. No significant variation in LVEF between the 2 groups was detected.

Increased blood pressure and left ventricular (LV) mass predict the onset of the clinically manifest hypertension, but little is known regarding the possible predictive value of LV function. The present study was designed to evaluate the association between echocardiographic LV long-axis systolic, and diastolic function and hypertension onset. We prospectively followed 244 normotensive adults with a family history of hypertension (HTN), with echocardiography for 7 years. M-mode derived atrioventricular plane displacement of the mitral and tricuspid annuli (MAVPD and TAVPD respectively), and LV circumferential fractional shortening were calculated. Diastolic function of the left and right ventricle were assessed using Doppler indices of the mitral and tricuspid inflow. During follow-up, 79 subjects developed hypertension (H group) and 165 subjects remained normotensive (N group). H group subjects had diminished MAVPD (13.873.4 vs 15.073.1 mm; P ¼ 0.007), lower mitral E/A ratio, and longer mitral E-wave deceleration time as compared to N group. In multivariate Cox model MAVPD and mitral E/A ratio predicted the onset of hypertension independent of LV mass index, blood pressure, pre-hypertensive status at baseline, age, sex and body mass index. During follow-up, H subjects experienced a significant decline in MAVPD and mitral E/A ratio, whereas the indices of right ventricular function and LV circumferential shortening remained intact. In conclusion, alterations in LV long-axis systolic and diastolic function, as measured by MAVPD and E/A ratio predict the onset of hypertension. These parameters declined during the development of hypertension.