Prognostic implications of restrictive left ventricular filling in acute myocardial infarction: A serial Doppler echocardiographic study

Objectives. This study was designed to evaluate the relative prognostic significance of restrictive left ventricular (LV) filling after acute myocardial infarction. Background. Data regarding the contribution of diastolic dysfunction to prognosis after myocardial infarction are limited, and the additional value over the assessment of systolic dysfunction is not known. Methods. Serial Doppler echocardiography was performed in 95 patients on days 1, 3 and 7 and 3 months after acute myocardial infarction. Patients were classified into two groups: a restrictive group (n = 12) with a peak velocity of early diastolic filling wave (E)/peak velocity of late filling wave (A) ratio greater than or equal to 2 or between 1 and 2 and a deceleration time (DT) less than or equal to 140 ms during at least one echocardiographic study; and a nonrestrictive group (n = 83) with an E/A ratio less than or equal to 1 or between 1 and 2 and a DT >140 ms at all examinations. Results. Cardiac death occurred in 10 patients during a mean follow-up interval of 32 +/- 17 months. The survival rate at 1 year was 100% in the nonrestrictive group and only 50% in the restrictive group. After 1 year there was a continuing divergence of mortality, resulting in a 3-year survival rate of 100% and 22%, respectively. Univariate Cox analysis revealed that restrictive LV filling, wall motion score index, ejection fraction and end-systolic and end diastolic volume indexes, as well as peak creatine kinase, peak MB fraction and heart failure during the hospital course were significant predictors of cardiac death, although restrictive filling was the single best predictor (p < 0.0001), Multivariate analysis showed that restrictive filling adds prognostic information to clinical and echocardiographic variables of systolic dysfunction. Conclusions. Restrictive LV filling after acute myocardial infarction is the single best predictor of cardiac death and adds significantly to clinical and echocardiographic markers of systolic dysfunction. (C) 1997 by the American College of Cardiology.