Journal article
Cardiophysiology Illustrated by Comparing Ventricular Volumes in Healthy Adult Males and Females
Advances in experimental medicine and biology, v 1065, pp 123-138
2018
PMID: 30051381
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Recent advances in cardiac imaging techniques have substantially contributed to a growing interest in the analysis of global cardiac chamber dimensions and regional myocardial deformation. During the cardiac cycle, ventricular luminal volume varies due to the contraction process, which also confers a shape change including substantial alteration of long axis length, as well as rotation of the base compared to the apex. Local deformation can be assessed by strain (rate) analysis. Reviewing the present literature, it must be concluded that there is no single metric available to comprehensively characterize ventricular function. Every candidate advanced thus far has been found to incompletely reflect ventricular performance. This observation is not surprising in view of the complexity of the cardiac pump system. Additionally, sex-specific modifiers may play a role. More than three decades ago, it was shown that on average the ventricular volume is smaller in healthy women compared to matched males. Therefore, the present contribution concerns the interpretation of data derived from the healthy heart in both men and women. Starting from the classical Starling concept, we apply a simple mathematical transformation which permits an insightful representation of ventricular mechanics. Relating end-systolic volume (ESV) to end-diastolic volume creates the ventricular volume regulation graph which features the pertinent working point of an individual heart. This fundamental approach illustrates why certain proposed performance indexes cannot individually reveal the essence of ventricular systolic function. We demonstrate that particular metrics are highly interconnected and just tell us the same story in a different disguise. It is imperative to understand which associations exist and if they expectedly are (nearly) linear or frankly nonlinear. Notably, ejection fraction (EF) is primarily determined by ESV, while in turn EF is not much different from ventriculo-arterial coupling (VAC). Insight into cardiac function is promoted by identification of the paramount/essential components involved. The smaller ESV (p < 0.0001) implies that EF is higher in women and may also have consequences for VAC.
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Details
- Title
- Cardiophysiology Illustrated by Comparing Ventricular Volumes in Healthy Adult Males and Females
- Creators
- Peter L M Kerkhof - Amsterdam UMC Location VUmcTatiana Kuznetsova - University of LeuvenJ Yasha Kresh - Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Medicine (Cardiology), Drexel University College of Medicine, IME, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USANeal Handly - Drexel UniversityJ Yasha Kresh - [Retired Faculty]
- Publication Details
- Advances in experimental medicine and biology, v 1065, pp 123-138
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- [Retired Faculty]; Emergency Medicine
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000453874000010
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85051261336
- Other Identifier
- 9783319779324; 331977932X; 991019169582904721
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InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biology
- Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
- Medicine, Research & Experimental