Left Ventricular Diastolic Function and Exercise Capacity in Community-Dwelling Adults ≥65 Years of Age Without Heart Failure

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) has been reported to have strong correlation with exercise capacity. However, this relationship has not been studied extensively in community-dwelling older adults. Data on pulse and tissue Doppler echocardiographic estimates of resting early (E) and atrial (A) transmitral peak inflow and early (Em) mitral annular velocities, and six-minute walk test were obtained from 89 community-dwelling older adults (mean age, 74; range, 65-93 years; 54% women), without a history of heart failure. Overall, 47% had cardiovascular morbidity and 60% had normal diastolic function (E/A 0.75-1.5 and E:Em <10). Among the 36 individuals with LVDD, 83%, 14% and 3% had grade I (E/A <0.75, regardless of E/Em), II (E/A 0.75-1.5 and E/Em ≥10) and III (E/A>1.5 and E/Em ≥10) LVDD, respectively. Those with LVDD were older (77 versus 73 years; p = 0.001) and had a trend for higher prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity (58% versus 40%; p = 0.083). LVDD negatively correlated with six-minute walk distance (1013 versus 1128 feet; R = −0.25; p = 0.017). This association remained significant despite adjustment for cardiovascular morbidity (R = −0.35; p = 0.048), but lost significance when adjusted for age (R = −0.32; p = 0.105), age and cardiovascular morbidity (R = −0.38; p = 0.161), and additional adjustment for sex, race, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure (R = −0.44; p = 0.365). In conclusion, most community-dwelling older adults without heart failure had normal left ventricular diastolic function or grade-I LVDD. Although LVDD was associated with decreased performance on a six-minute walk test, that association was no longer evident after adjustment for age, body mass index and cardiovascular morbidity.