E/E′: a prime number?

Excerpt

Well over a decade of research has highlighted the link between, and importance of diastolic events to a patient’s symptoms. Much has been made of the relationship between early (E) and late (A) diastolic left ventricular filling components. It has also become apparent that there is an established relationship between early filling velocity and peak early diastolic myocardial lengthening velocity (E′). Across a spectrum of individuals with ‘normal hearts’ there is an obvious linear relationship between E and E′ [1]. Thus, it would appear that the normal ventricle is adapted to its filling physiology; in an individual with a rapid flow across the mitral valve, the ventricular myocardium relaxes proportionately to accommodate this rapid flow and hence its suction function. …