OBJECTIVETo evaluate the behavior of LV diastolic displacement velocities of basal posterior septum near mitral ring segment obtained by tissue Doppler in relation to mitral fl ow velocities of hypertensive subjects, submitted to preload increase by left inferior limbs elevation for 5 minutes, and during 1 minute of handgrip (conditions 1 and 2, respectively).
METHODSTwenty fi ve outpatients (15 men, 52±11 years), with arterial hypertension > 3 years, by the transmitral fl ow Doppler variables: E, A and E/A, and of tissue Doppler: E', A' and E'/A', in basal situation and in conditions 1 and 2. For comparison of results in basal situation with conditions 1 and 2 a paired t test was applied.
RESULTSE(cm/s) varied from 68,88 ± 11,94 to 75,82 ± 15,71* and E'(cm/s) varied from 8,22 ± 2,30 to 8,31 ± 2,24 in condition 1 (p<0.05). In addition, a comparison of variation percent (%) of Doppler transmitral indices with corresponding tissue Doppler indices variation % showed a signifi cant difference between E and E', with preload increase (p=0.01).
CONCLUSIONPatients with left ventricular adaptation to systemic arterial hypertension showed less modifi cation of the index E´ than E, after preload increase maneuver, an evidence that may suggest its more ample utilization in the context of echocardiographic left ventricular diastolic function evaluation.
KEY WORDSLeft ventricular diastolic function; arterial hypertension; tissue Doppler.