BACKGROUND: Echocardiographic classification of DDF has been widely discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate the independent prognostic value of established echocardiographic measures in a community-based population and create a new classification of DDF.

METHODS: Within the Copenhagen City Heart Study, a prospective, community-based study, 1851 participants were examined by echocardiography including Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) in 2001 to 2003 and followed with regard to MACE (median, 10.9 years).

RESULTS: We found that persons with impaired myocardial relaxation as defined by low peak early diastolic mitral annular velocity e' by TDI had higher incidence of clinical and echocardiographic markers of cardiac dysfunction and increased risk of MACE. Among persons with impaired relaxation, only echocardiographic indices of increased filling pressures such as LAVi≥34 mL/m2 (HR 1.97 (1.13-3.45, P=.017), E/e' ≥ 17 (HR 1.89 (1.34-2.65), P<.001), and E/A>2 (HR 5.24 (1.91-14.42), P=.001) provided additional and independent prognostic information on MACE. Based on these findings, we created a new classification of DDF where all grades were significant predictors of MACE independently of age, sex, and cardiac clinical risk markers (Mild DDF: HR 1.99 (1.23-3.21), P=.005; Moderate DDF: HR 3.11 (1.81-5.34), P<.001; Severe DDF: HR 4.20 (1.81-9.73), P<.001). Increasing severity of DDF was linearly associated with increasing plasma proBNP concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS: In the general population, the presence of echocardiographic markers of elevated filling pressures in persons with impaired relaxation increased the risk of MACE significantly. Based on this, we present a new, feasible, and unambiguous classification of DDF capable of accurate risk prediction in the community.