BACKGROUND: Left ventricle diastolic malfunction (LVDMf) is a valvular cardiovascular disease. Here, we assessed the correlation between right ventricle (RV) load and function (L&F) and diastolic malfunction (DMf) in symptomless valvular cardiovascular disease patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We enrolled 59 subjects who underwent right-heart catheterization, assessing their echocardiographic analysis results while performing exercises in supine position, comparing results at rest and during maximum exercise. Subjects were furthermore stratified according to resting DMf. Using cardiac resonance imaging (CRM), we assessed cardiac morphology and chamber size. RV stroke, pulmonary artery conformation, pulmonary artery elastance, pulmonary artery pulsatility, and right atrial (pRA) pressure were indexed for supine exercises.

RESULTS: We observed that DMf grade 1 (G-1) and grade 2 (G-2) were present in 28 patients and 16 patients, respectively, while the remaining 15 patients had a normal filling pattern in the left ventricle. In comparison to patients with DMf of G-1, patients with normal diastolic filling pattern had higher volume index for RV end-diastolic (endD) (81±14 mL/m² vs. 68±12 mL/m², P=0.08) and for RV end-systolic (endS) (34±11 mL/m² vs. 27±8 mL/m², P=0.07). We also observed that in G-2 DMf pulmonary artery, pressure and elastance of the pulmonary artery were enhanced and were correlated with optimum oxygen intake and RV volume (r=–0.69, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: We found that enhancement in RV afterload, which returns to normal at rest, is correlated with mild DMf. Additionally, despite maximum exercise, it is reciprocally associated with maximum oxygen intake and right atrial pressure.

Keywords: Cardiovascular Diseases, Echocardiography, Stroke Volume, Ventricular Function, Left, Aged, 80 and over, Diastole, Heart Ventricles, Ventricular Dysfunction, Left, Ventricular Dysfunction, Right, Ventricular Function, Right