| Normal controls* (n = 10) | AR normal Nt-BNP | AR elevated Nt-BNP | p Value | p Value | |
| Nt-BNP <35 pmol/l (n = 29) | Nt-BNP >35 pmol/l (n = 10) | (normal controls vs AR normal Nt-BNP) | (AR normal Nt-BNP vs AR elevated Nt-BNP) | ||
| Diastolic BP (mm Hg) | 71 (6) | 61(12) | 50(11) | 0.03 | 0.007 |
| Natriuretic peptides | |||||
| N-terminal pro-BNP (pmol/l) | 9 (7–15) | 16 (9–23) | 42 (39–123) | 0.11 | |
| Echocardiography at rest | |||||
| Severe regurgitation (AR:LVOT width ratio >0.65) | 5 (17%) | 5 (50%) | 0.09 | ||
| AR to LVOT width ratio | 0.51 (0.13) | 0.61 (0.18) | 0.03 | ||
| Descending aortic end diastolic peak velocity (m/sec) | 0.22 (0.1) | 0.31 (0.14) | 0.02 | ||
| LA area index (cm2/m2) | 9.8 (2.1) | 10.4 (1.7) | 12.1 (2.4) | 0.32 | 0.02 |
| Estimated pulmonary artery pressure (mm Hg) | 24.9 (4.4) | 27.3 (6.3) | 31.1 (6.6) | 0.36 | 0.03 |
| LVEDVI (mls/m2) | 51.3 (13.5) | 88.5 (27.5) | 99.3 (30.9) | <0.001 | 0.29 |
| LVESVI (mls/m2) | 17.1 (7.1) | 32.0 (11.7) | 39.2 (19.3) | 0.001 | 0.35 |
| LV mass index (g/m2) | 89 (21) | 174 (41) | 208 (38) | <0.001 | 0.08 |
| S′ mitral annulus (cm/sec) | 11.6 (2.4) | 8.1 (2.1) | 8.2 (1.7) | 0.02 | 0.65 |
| Longitudinal strain rate (1/sec) | −1.19 (0.20) | −0.99 (0.13) | −1.1 (0.17) | 0.008 | 0.42 |
| E/E′ mitral annulus (septal) | 6.9 (1.7) | 9.3 (2.2) | 10.7 (3.1) | 0.007 | 0.82 |
| Treadmill exercise | |||||
| METS achieved | 14.6 (2.1) | 11.5 (3.2) | 9.2 (3.6) | 0.02 | 0.78 |
| LV function (exercise) | |||||
| LVEDVI (mls/m2) | 37.8 (12.6) | 58.5 (19.9) | 76.3 (29.2) | 0.003 | 0.05† |
| LVESVI (mls/m2) | 7.3 (4.2) | 18 (9.8) | 28.1 (19.3) | 0.001 | 0.09† |
| Longitudinal strain rate (1/sec) | −2.67 (0.55) | −2.06 (0.40) | −1.68 (0.35) | 0.007 | 0.05 |
| Change in longitudinal strain rate (1/sec) | 1.48 (0.45) | 1.08 (0.41) | 0.59 (0.33) | 0.03 | 0.02 |
Results are expressed as mean (standard deviation) except for B-type natriuretic peptide (median (interquartile range)).
p Values by Mann–Whitney U test.
*The age-adjusted results for post-exercise LVESVI and LVEDVI were <0.01. The age-adjusted results for other variables were similar before and after adjustment for age.