Mechanism of altered patterns of left ventricular filling during the development of congestive heart failure

Abstract

Background: The mechanism of the alterations in the pattern of left ventricular (LV) filling during the development of congestive heart failure (CHF) is not fully understood. Methods and Results: We studied six conscious dogs instrumented to measure LV and left atrial (LA) pressures and LV volume as CHF was induced by rapid pacing. Diastolic filling dynamics were serially measured over 4 weeks during normal sinus rhythm. Four days after we initiated pacing, the peak early diastolic filling rate decreased from 108±24 to 88±27 mL/s (P