Reference values and distribution of conventional echocardiographic Doppler measures and longitudinal tissue Doppler velocities in a population free from cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the distribution of conventional Doppler measurements, pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging (pwTDI)- and color tissue Doppler imaging-derived velocities, by age and sex in a healthy population.

Methods and results: Longitudinal tissue Doppler velocities were determined in 1266 healthy individuals from standard apical 4- and 2-chamber views. By the pwTDI method, mean ± SD systolic mitral annular velocities were 8.2 ± 1.3 cm/s in women and 8.6 ± 1.4 cm/s in men, and by color tissue Doppler, they were 6.6 ± 1.1 cm/s in women and 6.9 ± 1.3 cm/s in men. With pwTDI, diastolic early mitral annular velocities were 11.8 ± 3.2 cm/s in women and 10.8 ± 3.0 cm/s in men, with corresponding ratios between mitral early flow velocity and early diastolic tissue velocity of 6.7 ± 0.8 in women and 6.4 ± 0.8 in men. By pwTDI, tricuspid annular systolic and early diastolic velocities were 12.5 ± 1.9 and 13.3 ± 3.0, respectively, in women and 12.8 ± 2.2 and 12.5 ± 3.3, respectively, in men. There was a significant decrease in left and right ventricular function with increasing age. Conclusions- The longitudinal mitral and tricuspid annular velocities from this population study are widely applicable as reference values. Reference values for annular velocities should be specified by sex and age. The average of inferoseptal and anterolateral wall velocities may be the preferred index of left ventricular performance.