[Intracardiac hemodynamics and myocardial contractile function indices in chronic ischemic heart disease].

Echocardiography was used in the examination of 51 patients with chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD) without accompanying hypertension and congestive circulatory insufficiency. With gradual advancement of the disease, a significant increase in left-ventricular volumes during the systole and diastole was recorded as well as a decrease in the ejection fraction (IF) and velocity of circulatory shortening of the myocardial fibres (Vch) in slight variations of the stroke volume. The IF and Vch were the most characteristic indices for appraising the early manifestations of myocardial contractility disorders. The index of left-ventricular structure functioning intensity (SFI) was used to characterize the functional state of the heart muscle. In patients with a severe course of the disease, SFI was found to be reduced because of an increase in the myocardial mass. The developing damage hypertrophy, however, did not provide for full compensation of left-ventricular function and was attended by a reduction of the indices of contractility and pump function of the heart. This provides the grounds for the assumption that the reduction of SFI in patients with severe IHD is associated with exclusion of part of the myocardium involved in the pathological process from effective functioning.