Mitral DTE

[XFACTOR2009]

I  would like to ask whether the Mitral  DTE     (deceleration  time)  on echo  varies  widely
I had  202  ms  last  year     Yesterday, I had  an echo that the  time was  174   ms
Can this vary  all the time   day  to  day  hour  to hour, or would   202  down to 174  in not much over  12 months reflect a  significant  change  ?
Thank you

[XFACTOR2009]

Thats a   fabulous  explanation,  than you  so much.   Taken  all into  account  I shan't  worry,  two  different  techs,  two  different hospitals    two  different machine s etc etc     Everything else seems more or less the samethough I  noted   my  EA  ratio  was  1.3   last year    1.2  this year  

Thank you  

[CCFHeartMD16]

Mitral deceleration time is a measurement that is made on echocardiogram, and measures the time it takes for the flow across the mitral valve to go from peak to zero during diastole.

There are numerous factors which impact mitral decel time including heart rate, fluid status, mitral regurgitation or stenosis, diastolic function of the left ventricle.

However, it is also a hand measured measurement, which means that the curves are displayed on the machine and then the technician or physician draws a line from the peak to follow the slope of the curve toward baseline. Depending on who draws the line and how they do it, the decel time can vary some.

Therefore, mitral decel time is a useful and important thing that we evaluate to put together an entire picture as to your heart function, but it is not used in isolation. A change in decel time may be spurious or reflect the change in rate or volume status or other things, and not of significance if nothing else about your echo has changed.

A change in your decel time over the past year may be a reflection of other changes that have occurred that would also be noted on echo, however, it may be a change in isolation that does not change your overall impression of heart structure and function.