The influence of different AV delays on left ventricular diastolic functions and on incidence of diastolic mitral regurgitation.

In patients with a DDD pacemaker (PM), programming of atrioventricular (AV) delay can influence ventricular filling and function. In this study the authors used color Doppler echocardiography to evaluate the effect of different AV delays on left ventricular diastolic function (LVDF) and on the incidence of diastolic mitral regurgitation. In 26 patients with DDD PM, the following parameters were evaluated during five different AV delays by echocardiography: (1) mitral E wave amplitude (by pulsed Doppler), (2) mitral A wave amplitude (by pulsed Doppler), (3) isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT), (4) deceleration time (DT), (5) LV diastolic dimension (LVDd), (6) LV systolic dimension (LVDs), (7) ejection fraction (EF), and (8) diastolic mitral regurgitation (DMR). Patients had been paced for symptomatic AV block (n: 16, 62%) and sick sinus syndrome (n: 10, 38%). Mean age of patients was fifty-two (nineteen to sixty-three) and 13 (50%) of them were women.