Detrimental effects of late artery opening.

direct, logarithmic, and quantitative relationship between E/A ratio and PA pressure measured as continuous variables in patients with CTEPH. We also documented a similar direct relationship between E/A and cardiac output in the same group. The results of our study expand upon previous studies that have reported on abnormal LV diastolic function in patients with chronic pulmonary hypertension. However, it is still difficult to hypothesize that abnormal LV diastolic filling contributes significantly to dyspnea in these patients. In fact, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure increased slightly from 9.8 5 to 11.5 4.5 mm Hg (p 0.04) after PTE. This suggests that dyspnea in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension is unlikely to be related to an elevated LV filling pressure.