Open AccessAssessment of Systolic and Diastolic Function in Asymptomatic Subjects Using Ambulatory Monitoring With Acoustic Cardiography
Author(s) -
Dillier Roger,
Zuber Michel,
Arand Patricia,
Erne Susanne,
Erne Paul
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.20891
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , ambulatory , diastole , circadian rhythm , cardiology , population , blood pressure , pediatrics , environmental health
Background: Adequately recording diastolic heart sounds and systolic time intervals over longer periods is difficult. Thus, information on the circadian variation of these parameters in an ambulatory population is lacking. Moreover, age‐related changes in the prevalence of diastolic heart sounds and measurements of systolic time intervals in an asymptomatic population have not been studied in continuous recordings. Hypothesis: Diastolic heart sounds and systolic time intervals will have age and circadian variations that reflect known changes in cardiac function due to aging and circadian rhythms. Methods: We studied 128 asymptomatic subjects wearing an ambulatory monitor with acoustic cardiography. The recording spanned a mean duration of 14 hours, including sleep. Data were analyzed for the presence of third (S 3 ) and fourth (S 4 ) heart sounds and for systolic time intervals. Results: In these asymptomatic subjects, S 3 was significantly more prevalent in those age <40 years than in those age >40 years, and significantly more pronounced during sleep in the younger group. Also, S 4 was significantly more prevalent in those age >40 years and significantly more pronounced during sleep in those age >40 years. In contrast, time intervals reflecting systolic function showed less circadian variation and less worsening with age. Conclusions: The nocturnal increase of S 4 in the elderly reflects diastolic impairment—likely a result of changes in diastolic filling patterns with increasing age. An S 3 after the age of 40 is a relatively uncommon finding and therefore should be a specific sign of cardiac disease. Continuous monitoring of diastolic heart sounds and systolic time intervals is possible using acoustic cardiography. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Patricia Arand, PhD, is an employee of Inovise Medical. The authors have no other funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.