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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 90/4/527    most recent expphysiol.2005.030007v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ruan, Q. Articles by Nagueh, S. F Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ruan, Q. Articles by Nagueh, S. F Related Collections Heart/Cardiac Muscle

¹ Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, and Debakey Heart Center, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of age on left ventricular (LV) systolic function in normal healthy adults. Eighty consecutive subjects without cardiovascular disease underwent standard and tissue Doppler (TD) echocardiographic imaging. LV systolic function was assessed by load-dependent indices as ejection fraction (EF) and myocardial systolic velocities by TD as well as by the load-independent index, systolic isovolumic acceleration rate (IVA). None of the echocardiographic measurements of systolic function declined with age (mean IVA for the group, 286 ± 123 cm s^–2; IVA vs. age, r = 0.21, P = 0.1). Likewise, LV end diastolic dimension, wall thickness, mass and left atrial maximum volume were not significantly related to age. On the other hand, as previously reported, echocardiographic indices of diastolic function showed a significant decline with age (P < 0.05). When the group was stratified by gender, isovolumic velocity and acceleration were higher in men than women, but the differences were not significant (P = 0.12 and 0.37, respectively). No significant relation was observed between age and measurements of LV systolic function by regression analysis in women (P > 0.1). However, in men, a positive correlation was noted between average IVA and age (r = 0.63, P = 0.007). In conclusion, age is not associated with a change in cardiac structure and LV systolic function, but is accompanied by a decline in echocardiographic indices of diastolic function. With respect to gender, age does not appear to influence LV systolic function in women, but is associated with an increase in IVA and septal systolic ejection in men.

(Received 2 February 2005; accepted after revision 3 March 2005; first published online 15 March 2005)
Corresponding author S. F. Nagueh: Methodist DeBakey Heart Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 6550 Fannin Street, SM-1246, Houston, Texas 77030-2717, USA. Email: sherifn{at}bcm.tmc.edu