Compliances indices in the assessment of cardiac diseases

Changes in aortic compliance have been used to diagnose cardiovascular diseases. The extent of such changes is directly related to the severity of the diseased state. The current investigation examines two different compliance indices of the aorta and the left ventricle in different types of cardiac diseases. An increase in diastolic volume associated with mitral regurgitation results in an increase in stroke volume and a corresponding increase in the calculated compliance values. The relatively small percentage decrease reported may be due to the preliminary nature of this study. The results suggest that a general decrease in compliance is associated with cardiac disease. This study reaffirms that left ventricular and arterial compliances are useful indices for the assessment and evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.<>