Rilassamento miocardico, riempimento ventricolare sinistro e capacità di esercizio in soggetti anziani con dispnea.

With aging, left ventricular (LV) early diastolic lengthening declines. Delayed or dyssynchronous untwisting and relaxation may slow and reduce filling and contribute to elevated diastolic pressures. Segmental variations in the timing of early diastolic relaxation may impair LV suction during exercise and impact LV stroke volume reserve, especially in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). To determine possible mechanisms causing dyspnea, we investigated 106 subjects aged ≥ 60 yr, including 38 patients with HFpEF, 26 breathless, 19 hypertensive, and 23 healthy controls, at rest and during submaximal exercise stress echocardiography. Global and regional early diastolic functi