Age-related changes in diastolic indices were gender specific. In the elderly population, diastolic function deteriorated more significantly in the female gender than in the male gender. These results may explain the relatively higher incidence in elderly females among patients with diastolic heart failure and higher cardiovascular mortality in the female gender.
Background: Although echo Doppler machines have consistently advanced within a quarter of a century, age related prevalence of valvular regurgitation detected by currently available echo machines remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlates of valvular regurgitation in healthy individuals.
Methods and Results:A total of 1,333 apparently healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Echocardiographic examinations were performed using a currently available echo machine. Aortic regurgitation (AR) was detected less frequently (<10%) in younger subjects. Prevalence of aortic regurgitation increased with advancing age and reached 46% in their 9 th decade. Mitral regurgitation (MR) was detected in two-thirds of the subjects >30 years old. Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) was frequently (>80%) detected in all age groups. In general, prevalence of valvular regurgitation was higher than those reported previously, except for a relatively lower prevalence of AR in the elderly population. Age was an independent correlate of AR and MR, but not of TR. The presence of AR and MR were independent correlates of TR.
Conclusions:In healthy subjects, AR, MR or TR are commonly detected by using a current echo machine. These "physiological" valvular regurgitations should not be considered as a "pathological" valvular heart disease. (Circ J 2011; 75: 2699 - 2704
Although left ventricular diastolic function has been shown to deteriorate with advancing age, its gender specific change is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate age and gender specific changes in tissue Doppler derived left ventrisular diastolic index. A total of 1,333 healthy individual without known heart disease (mean age 55 years, range 10–89) and 138 patients with hypertension (mean 65 years, range 50–89) were enrolled and studied. Using Doppler echocardiography, peak early mitral annular velocity (E′) was recorded and measured from apical 4 chamber view. E′ value was compared between male and female in each age group. (Figure
) Among those aged between 10–19, E′ was similar between male and female. E′ progressively decline with advancing age in both gender, but more so in male than in female until age 50. In subjects with age 50–59 years (mean 55 years), E′ become identical in male and female. After 50 years, E′ decline more so in female than in male. Similarly, E′ was significantly lower in elderly women among hypertensive population. Age-related changes in diastolic indices were gender specific. In the elderly population diastolic function deteliorate more significantly in female gender than in male. These results may explaine the relatively higher incidence in elderly female among patients with diastolic heart failure and higher cardiovascular mortality in female gender.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.