The assessment of the cardiac compensatory function of elderly people with coronary artery disease by quantitive dobutamine stress echocardiography

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate the cardiac compensatory function change in senior people with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) by Quantitive Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography (DSE) and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: All of the 98 senior people (age >60) who were suspected to have CAD received the examination of DSE and TDI. The mean systolic peak velocity (Sa), early diastolic peak velocity (Ea) and late diastolic peak velocity (Aa) of mitral annulus were measured in a different dose of dobutamine stress. Besides, the coronary angiography (CAG) was done within 2 weeks for the 98 senior people.

RESULTS: In the basic status, the mean Sa, Ea and Aa were not significantly different between the patients from the normal group and CAD group. However, under a 20 μg/kg·min dose of dobutamine stress, significant differences of mean Sa and Ea between two groups were observed. For the mean Aa, a significant difference could be observed with the dose of 40 μg/kg·min.

CONCLUSIONS: Both the cardiac systolic and diastolic compensatory function were lower in the CAD group than the normal group, which is detectable in the 20 μg/kg·min dose of dobutamine stress status. In other words, Quantitive Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography is a safe, efficient, non-invasive diagnostic method. It can reflect the compensatory cardiac function of the patients with CAD.