Effect of Chronically Increased Ventricular Pressure on Electrical Forces of the Heart

Hemodynamic measurements during left and right heart catheterization in 90 patients with aortic or pulmonic stenosis have been correlated with selected vectorcardiographic parameters obtained by the Frank vectorcardiogram. Evidence has been presented that increased left ventricular peak pressure (r=0.85) or pressure time (r=0.78) leads to augmented maximum spatial voltages. The coefficients for similar correlations on the right side of the heart were 0.87, respectively 0.82. When a sum of selected spatial vectors was used the correlation coefficient with left ventricular peak pressure rose to 0.90 (with controls r=0.93) and with right ventricular peak pressure to 0.89, while at the same time the standard error became less. Less significant correlations existed with the log of the valve area (r=–0.69 for the aortic valve and r=–0.66 for the pulmonary valve) and stroke work (r= 0.24 for left and r=0.32 for right ventricular work). These findings provide a further link between the morphology and the physiolo...