Role of anatomical regurgitant orifice area and right ventricular contractile reserve in severe tricuspid regurgitation.

Aims: We sought to propose a novel risk stratification system for severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) using 3D-anatomical regurgitant orifice area (3D-AROA) and the slope of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion vs. systolic pulmonary artery pressure (TAPSE/SPAP) and to validate its prognostic significance.

Methods And Results: Sixty-four patients with severe functional TR (52% torrential) underwent 3D echocardiography and exercise-stress echocardiography.

Effects of aging on coronary flow reserve in patients with no evidence of myocardial perfusion abnormality.

Coronary flow reserve (CFR) reflects the functional capacity of microcirculation to adapt to blood demand during increased cardiac work. We tested the hypothesis that aging had impacts on coronary flow velocities and CFR in patients with no evidence of myocardial perfusion abnormality on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Seventy-six patients undergoing transthoracic Doppler echocardiography with no evidence of myocardial perfusion abnormality on SPECT were enrolled in this study.

Aortic valve calcium is associated with left ventricular diastolic function in patients without evidence of ischaemic heart disease: assessment by gated single-photon emission computed tomography.

Background: Several studies have shown that aortic valve calcium (AVC) is associated with cardiovascular events. Furthermore, the extent of AVC is associated with adverse prognosis even in patients without significant aortic stenosis. We investigated the relationship between AVC and left ventricular (LV) diastolic parameters determined by gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with no evidence of ischaemic heart disease.

Associations of left ventricular shape with left ventricular volumes and functions assessed by ECG-gated SPECT in patients without significant perfusion abnormality.

Left ventricular (LV) remodeling often results from conditions with an elevated LV hemodynamic load or after myocardial infarction. The present study was undertaken to investigate the associations of LV shape with LV volumes and functions in patients without significant perfusion abnormality. One hundred and sixty-seven patients without significant perfusion abnormality on ECG-gated SPECT were enrolled.