Doppler Echocardiographic Evaluation of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function After Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty for Unstable Angina Pectoris or Acute Myocardial Infarction Frank R. Snow, MD, John Gorcsan, III, MD, Stephen A. Lewis, MD, Michael J. Cowley, MD, George W. Vetrovec, MD, and J.V. Nixon, MD

The effect of percutaneous transiuminal coronary angiopfasty (PTCA) on left ventricular (LV) diastotii function has not been systematiilty investigated in patients treated for unstabie angina or ischemia after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To assess the relation between reduction of stenosis severity and improvement in diastofic function in this setting, 42 patients with either unstable angina (n = 22) or post-AMI ischemii (n = 20) were serially monitored by Doppler echocardiography 8 f 5 hews before and 2 f 1 days after PTCA. Doppler LV Citing indexes ineluded isovokimic retaxation time, mitral deceleration time, E/A peak vefocity ratfo and atrfal filing fraction. Eighteen agedmatched controi subjscts served to estabfish normal vatues for comparison. Defore PTCA, both groups exhibited abnormal diistotic function demonstrated by protonged isovolumic refaxation time and mitral deceleration ttme, decreased E/A ratio and imreased atrial fiiiing fraction. After PTCA isovofumic relaxation time and deceferation time decreased 18 l 28 (p