Usefulness of left ventricular diastolic wall motion abnormality as an early predictor of left ventricular dilation after a first acute myocardial infarction.

To determine the relation between regional diastolic wall motion abnormality and left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), Doppler echocardiography and color kinesis with assessment of global and regional systolic and diastolic functions were performed in 84 patients who developed AMI within 24 hours of admission. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the percentage of left ventricular myocardial segments with diastolic wall motion abnormality (p = 0.008), absence of myocardial viability (p = 0.01), and overall diastolic function (p = 0.001) were predictors of remodeling after AMI.