[Physical properties of the aorta and left ventricular geometry evaluated by Doppler echocardiography in normal subjects].

In 45 normotensive subjects (21-84 years) we simultaneously measured: 1) arterial pressure (AP) according to guidelines of the World-health-organization; 2) left ventricular (LV) wall thickness (WT) and antero-posterior radius (r), aortic diameter (AD) by M-mode echo with 2D echo control; 3) isthmus--diaphragm pulse wave delay (PWD) by measurement of time, between the foot of aortic velocity curves, respectively in the isthmus and near the diaphragm; 4) sternal length (L). We derived WT/r ratio, pulse wave velocity (PWV) as the ratio L/PWD, the product AD X PWD and the PWD/AD. AP, WT/r, PWD, PWV, AD, AD X CFD, PWD/AD are significantly correlated with age (respective r = 0.30, p = 0.05; r = 0.61, p less than 0.001; r = -0.67, p less than 0.001; r = 0.73, p less than 0.001; r = 0.61, p less than 0.001; r = -0.49, p less than 0.001; r = 0.52, p less than 0.001. WT/r is significantly correlated with PWD (r = -0.52, p less than 0.001); PWV (r = 0.50, p less than 0.001); AD (r = 0.44, p less than 0.03); AD X PWD (r = -0.38, p = 0.01) and PWD/AD (r = 0.35, p less than 0.02) but not systolic AP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)