Open AccessPathophysiologic significance of left ventricular hypertrophy in dilated cardiomyopathy
Author(s) -
Iida Keiji,
Sersi Magdi El,
Fujieda Katusuji,
Kawano Satoru,
Tabei Fumiko,
Iwasaki Yuko,
Masumi Tomoko,
Yamaguchi Iwao,
Sugishita Yasuro
Publication year - 1996
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.4960190906
Subject(s) - medicine , pathophysiology , cardiology , dilated cardiomyopathy , muscle hypertrophy , cardiomyopathy , left ventricular hypertrophy , heart failure , blood pressure
Background and hypothesis: Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have been found to have a better prognosis than patients without LVH. However, the pathophysiologic mechanism for that has not been investigated. We sought to clarify the pathophysiologic significance of LVH in DCM. Methods: We performed isoproterenol infusion echocar‐diography (0.02 m̈g/kg/min) in 17 patients with DCM, and measured plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels at rest and at the end of ergometer exercise in 14 of the 17 patients. Patients were classified into groups according to the presence (9 patients) (LVH+) or absence (8 patients) (LVH‐) of LVH. Left ventricular hypertrophy was defined as an inter‐ventricular thickness or posterior wall thickness ≥13 mm. Results: Although there was no significant difference between groups in fractional shortening at rest during isoproterenol infusion, fractional shortening was significantly higher in the LVH (+) group than in the LVH (‐) group (29 ± 9 vs. 17 ± 8%;p<0.025). Although there was no significant difference in plasma norepinephrine level, it was significantly lower in the LVH (+) group than in the LVH (‐) group (233 ± 169 vs. 519 ± 258 pg/ml;p<0.05) at the end point of the exercise. Conclusion: Systolic reserve, represented by the response to isoproterenol, is greater in patients with DCM with LVH than in those without LVH, and a lower plasma level of norepinephrine is needed to activate the myocardium during ex ercise in patients with DCM with LVH. This pathophysiologic characteristic could be one of the mechanisms which explain a better prognosis in patients with DCM with LVH.