Effects of Age and Gender on Right Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Function Using Two-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Strain

Background Accurate assessment of the right ventricle is increasingly important. Measures of right ventricular (RV) systolic function, including fractional area change, tissue Doppler (s′ velocity), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, show significant variation, and the impacts of age and gender are unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of gender and age on global and segmental RV systolic and diastolic function using both traditional echocardiographic and two-dimensional strain parameters. Methods Detailed transthoracic echocardiographic studies were performed on 142 healthy adult volunteers, with particular emphasis on the right ventricle to determine RV dimensions and function, including fractional area change, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, s′ velocity, global and segmental systolic strain, and systolic, early diastolic, and late diastolic strain rates. Results Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion ( r  = −0.4, P r  = −0.5, P r  = −0.4, P Conclusions RV functional analysis by two-dimensional strain demonstrates a small yet significant change in global and segmental RV function with age and gender, and therefore adjustment for these measures is required in the evaluation of RV function.