Reference values of left ventricular diastolic function accessed by conventional and Doppler echocardiography in healthy Angolans: effect of age and gender

Introduction: Studies about the reference values of the conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography in African populations are limited. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of aging and gender in left ventricular diastolic function assessed by conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography in healthy Angolans. Methods: Cross-sectional study performed involving healthy participants aged between 18 and 85 years, attending in a diagnostic center in Luanda, Angola. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography and Doppler study were performed according to the Guidelines of the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Results: A total of 103 men (47.5%) (mean age: 39,5±10,8) and 114 women (52,5%) (mean age: 43,0±12,5 years) were included. Compared to men, women were older (p=0,025) and showed significantly smaller body surface area (p<0,001). Mitral E velocity, and E/e’ ratio were significantly higher in women compared to men. While, DT of mitral E velocity was longer in men compared to women (p=0,041), E wave velocity and E/A ratio show a negative significant correlation with increasing age (r -0,33; P ≤ 0.001 and r -0,48; P ≤ 0.001, respectively). Conversely, A wave velocity shows a significant positive correlation with age (r 0,47; P < 0.001). Average e′ wave velocity shows a significant negative correlation with aging (r -0,40; P ≤ 0.0001). Conclusions: In healthy Angolan adult population, the parameters of left ventricular diastolic function deteriorated with age reflecting a normal aging process. This must be taken into account when assessing diastolic function at different age’s categories.