Changes in myocardial tissue velocities over a decade: the Copenhagen City Heart study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of cardiovascular risk factors – age, sex, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, smoking and obesity on Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) measures of systolic and diastolic tissue velocities in the general population over a 10-year period. Identifying risk factors that are associated with changes in TDI velocities could lead to an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of the deteriorating heart and enable early preventive actions and strategies.

The study included 1128 members from the general population who participated in both the 4th and 5th Copenhagen City Heart Study. At both examination rounds, the participants underwent echocardiography. The examinations were 10 years apart. Conventional echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function and measures of TDI myocardial tissue velocities were obtained.

Average change in s', e' and a' were −0.4±1.1 cm/s, −0.9±1.7 cm/s and 0.5±1.7 cm/s, respectively. After multivariable adjustments, older age (P<0.001) and higher systolic blood pressure (BP) (P=0.029) were found to be associated with a decrease in s' at follow-up. Male sex (P<0.001) was found to be associated with an increase in s'. Older age (P<0.001) and greater number of smoking pack-years (P=0.004) were associated with a decrease in e' at follow-up after multivariable adjustments. In addition, greater BMI (P=0.004) was significantly associated with a decrease in a'. Higher diastolic BP (P=0.004) and male sex (P=0.004) were associated with an increase in a'.

In the general population, overall systolic and diastolic function declined over a 10-year period. Both systolic and diastolic function as assessed by myocardial TDI velocities were affected by multiple conventional cardiovascular risk factors.

Type of funding sources: None.