BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: The prognostic significance of changes in left ventricular systolic function over time is unknown in elderly @entity1 with @entity712 . We prospectively examined the relation between 1-year changes in left ventricular systolic function by echocardiographic determination of @entity713 ( @entity713 ), and subsequent 2-year mortality and morbidity in elderly @entity1 with @entity712 . @entity713 determination allows for left ventricular function to be adequately assessed even when image quality is poor, as is common in the elderly. METHODS: @entity713 was measured at baseline and 1 year in 123 @entity1 with @entity712 (age 76.0 +/- 5.4 years). An @entity713 change of 1 mm or more (corresponding to an ejection fraction change of 0.05) was considered significant. RESULTS: @entity713 decreased in 26 @entity1 (21%), increased in 46 (37%), and was unchanged in 51 (42%). During a 2-year follow-up (from the 1-year examination) mortality, total hospitalizations, and hospitalizations for @entity712 (35% of all hospitalizations) did not differ significantly between the three groups. @entity1 (n = 80) with @entity713 of 8.2 mm or less (corresponding to left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.40 or less) at the 1-year examination demonstrated a higher mortality than @entity1 with @entity713 greater than 8.2 mm (43.8 versus 23.3%; P = 0.031), and also had more hospitalizations and days in hospital due to @entity712 (1.0 +/- 1.5 versus 0.4 +/- 0.8, P = 0.020 and 10.4 +/- 15.6 versus 4.6 +/- 10.6, P = 0.033, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular function was readily assessed in all @entity1 by determination of @entity713 . Our results indicate that single but not serial assessment of left ventricular systolic function by determination of @entity713 is of value in assessing the prognosis in elderly @entity1 with @entity712 .

Prognostic significance of changes in left ventricular systolic function in elderly @entity1 with XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity713 :: ('MESH:D054537', 'Disease') :: ['AVPD', 'atrioventricular plane displacement'] @entity712 :: ('MESH:D006333', 'Disease') :: ['heart failure']
@entity712 :: (MESH:D006333,Disease) :: ['congestive heart failure']
