Editorial
Assessment of left ventricular systolic function in research and in clinical practice
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Left ventricular (LV) systolic function is a major prognostic factor in cardiac disease1-3; the serial reliable assessment of LV function is therefore essential. Since its development, echocardiography has played a major role in non-invasive evaluation.
M mode echocardiographyWith the increasing sophistication of two dimensional echocardiography, it is notable that two groups with papers in this issue have used the very basic technique of M mode (one dimensional) echocardiography in the assessment of LV function. M mode measurements allow excellent resolution in measurement of LV diameters and wall thickness. Mahon and colleagues4 have taken advantage of this to identify LV enlargement in relatives of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and then elegantly demonstrated metabolic abnormalities in these patients.
The population based heart failure study by Cowie and
colleagues5 illustrates the limitations of M mode. It
should be noted that echocardiography was not a primary focus of this
study. Qualitative two
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