Differences in left ventricular functional properties in healthy adults with greater end-diastolic versus end-systolic aortic valve annular area-detailed analysis from the three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiographic MAGYAR-Healthy Study.

Background: According to the literature, in one-third of the cases, the aortic valve annulus (AVA) is greater in end-diastole than in end-systole under certain conditions. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to assess potential differences in left ventricular (LV) functional properties observed in healthy individuals, based on whether the end-diastolic or end-systolic AVA area was larger. Methods: The present cohort study consisted of 254 Caucasian healthy adults, from which 142 subjects were excluded due to inferior image quality (56%). Thus, the final population comprised 112 individuals [mean age: 33.7±11.1 years, 69 males, body mass index (BMI): 18.5±0.19 kg/m Results: No differences in routine 2D echocardiographic data and 3DSTE-derived LV volumetric parameters could be detected between the groups examined. Global and mean segmental LV strain showed no differences between the groups. However, basal LV radial (29.1%±9.2% Conclusions: Although most of healthy adults have a greater end-systolic than end-diastolic AVA area, 30% of cases show a greater end-diastolic AVA area. Healthy subjects with a greater end-diastolic AVA area demonstrated reduced basal radial and longitudinal LV strains, as well as lower basal LV rotation, compared with those with a greater end-systolic AVA area.