Blood Flow in the Left Ventricle

Abstract

There is a growing realization among physicians and scientists of the need to understand the physiology and pathophysiology of transmitral blood flow dynamics. This is due, in part, to an awareness that diastolic dysfunction may, in some patients and some disease states, precede systolic dysfunction. It is due also to the advent of sophisticated, noninvasive, diagnostic technology which makes it possible to explore the motion of blood and of cardiac structures. Doppler flowmetry, for example, is an extremely useful clinical and investigative technique, but it is apparent that, like most noninvasive techniques, it is often ambiguous and unclear. When combined with an understanding of the physiological principles derived from data obtained by invasive experimental approaches, however, modern technology offers greater information. In this section, we will present results from experiments on dogs; we will offer a conceptual framework with which to analyze the data and clarify the physiological mechanisms involved in transmitral blood flow. We hope that this approach will improve the clinical scientist’s understanding and interpretation of the data derived from the latest advances in technology.