HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 105/4/1342    most recent 90600.2008v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Chantler, P. D. Articles by Najjar, S. S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chantler, P. D. Articles by Najjar, S. S.

REVIEW

HIGHLIGHTED TOPIC
Physiology of the Aging Vasculature

Arterial-ventricular coupling: mechanistic insights into cardiovascular performance at rest and during exercise

Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland

ABSTRACT

Understanding the performance of the left ventricle (LV) requires not only examining the properties of the LV itself, but also investigating the modulating effects of the arterial system on left ventricular performance. The interaction of the LV with the arterial system, termed arterial-ventricular coupling (E_A/E_LV), is a central determinant of cardiovascular performance and cardiac energetics. E_A/E_LV can be indexed by the ratio of effective arterial elastance (E_A; a measure of the net arterial load exerted on the left ventricle) to left ventricular end-systolic elastance (E_LV; a load-independent measure of left ventricular chamber performance). At rest, in healthy individuals, E_A/E_LV is maintained within a narrow range, which allows the cardiovascular system to optimize energetic efficiency at the expense of mechanical efficacy. During exercise, an acute mismatch between the arterial and ventricular systems occurs, due to a disproportionate increase in E_LV (from an average of 4.3 to 13.2, and 4.7 to 15.5 mmHg·ml^–1·m^–2 in men and women, respectively) vs. E_A (from an average of 2.3 to 3.2, and 2.3 to 2.9 mmHg·ml^–1·m^–2 in men and women, respectively), to ensure that sufficient cardiac performance is achieved to meet the increased energetic requirements of the body. As a result E_A/E_LV decreases from an average of 0.58 to 0.34, and 0.52 to 0.27 in men and women, respectively. In this review, we provide an overview of the concept of E_A/E_LV, and examine the effects of age, hypertension, and heart failure on E_A/E_LV and its components (E_A and E_LV) in men and women. We discuss these effects both at rest and during exercise and highlight the mechanistic insights that can be derived from studying E_A/E_LV.

left ventricular function; arterial system; exercise; aging; disease

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. G. Lakatta Arterial aging is risky J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2008; 105(4): 1321 - 1322. [Full Text] [PDF]