Effects of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty on diastolic function in patients with chronic occlusion of lower-extremity artery

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether successful revascularization of total occlusion of a large lower-extremity artery is associated with improvement of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. BACKGROUND: Total occlusion of a large lower-extremity artery might affect the systemic vascular resistance and increase the afterload, because the left ventricle must work harder to eject blood into a smaller vascular bed. Chronic elevation of afterload is a cause of LV diastolic dysfunction. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective analysis of 20 patients (10 men, age 69.6 ± 12.3 years) with chronic total occlusions (CTOs) of the aorto-iliac and femoropopliteal segments who underwent a successful endovascular revascularization. Baseline and postprocedural evaluation of diastolic function was performed, and the primary endpoint was improvement in LV diastolic function, which was defined as any decrease of the baseline E/E' ratio or any increase of the baseline E' velocity after the index procedure. RESULTS: There was a significant effect of successful revascularization on the E/A ratio (from 1.5 ± 1.1 to 1.0 ± 0.3; P≤.046) because of a significant increase of A velocity (from 86.3 ± 30.4 cm/s to 98.3 ± 21.8 cm/s; P≤.03). The E' velocity (from 7.4 ± 2.0 cm/s to 8.3 ± 2.3 cm/s; P≤.07) did not show a significant increase, but there was a significant reduction in E/E' ratio (from 14.6 ± 3.9 to 12.4 ± 3.3; P≤.02). Logistic regression analysis did not identify possible predictors of improvement in LV diastolic function. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that a successful revascularization was associated with improvement in the echocardiographic parameters of LV diastolic function in patients with CTO of large lower-extremity artery, and these changes may be related to the afterload reduction.