Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function in chronic cor pulmonale.

In this study we hoped to understand the abnormalities of left ventricular filling dynamics in chronic cor pulmonale. Our findings showed a severe left ventricular diastolic impairment, directly related to a progressive increase in pulmonary hypertension itself, as expressed by correlation analysis between systolic pulmonary artery pressure and the following parameters: transmitral flow velocity in early/late diastole ratio (r = -0.69, p <0.001), isovolumic relaxation time (r = 0.54, p = 0.001), and transmitral flow velocity in early diastole (r = -0.59, p <0.01).