Abstract
A prospective evaluation of 52 patients was conducted to establish whether accentuated E' and A' flows, as detected by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, are related to decreased left ventricular compliance. Decreased compliance was assessed by determining the presence of increased isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and the fourth heart sound heard on auscultation. Among patients with accentuated A' velocities, a strong association with LVH and increased IVRT in patients older than 40 years of age was noted; no association with IVRT was noted in similar patients younger than 40 years of age or with the presence of a fourth heart sound. No relationship between accentuated E' velocities and parameters characteristic of decreased compliance was seen.