Relaxation and filling of the left ventricle assessed by Doppler echocardiography

In patients with coronary disease the Doppler method described in the present work was capable of detecting a delayed left ventricular (LV) relaxation and a shift of LV filling from early towards late diastole. This might reflect changes in LV diastolic function due to myocardial ischemia. Furthermore, the method allowed monitoring of changes during treatment with atenolol and verapamil. These changes indicated that atenolol and verapamil were able to partially correct the relaxation abnormailty and increase the relative contribution of early diastolic filling. Although all the numerous variables that influence LV transmitral filling could be controlled in this noninvasive clinical study, the results suggest that antianginal drugs may have beneficial effect on diastolic function in coronary disease. 62 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs