Clinical implications of the echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular long axis function.

The assessment of the left and right ventricular long axis function by Doppler echocardiography was started many years ago with the use of M-mode. Two-dimensional echocardiography was subsequently used to study the longitudinal function of the left ventricle. The studies of that era led to useful conclusions.

Impaired systolic dysfunction of left ventricular longitudinal fibers: a sign of early hypertensive cardiomyopathy.

Background: Atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD) study by M-mode echocardiography can supply useful clinical information about left ventricular (LV) long-axis function.

Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that AVPD estimation could be used to detect early hypertensive cardiomyopathy.

Methods: The study population included 81 hypertensive patients with normal LV ejection fraction and fractional shortening, and 50 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.