Effects of levosimendan on left ventricular diastolic function after primary angioplasty for acute anterior myocardial infarction: A Doppler echocardiographic study

Background: Levosimendan is a new Ca-sensitizing drug with combined positive inotropic and vasodilatory effects that offers new therapeutic possibilities in patients with severe heart failure. Compared with other inotropic agents, animal studies demonstrated that levosimendan does not impair left ventricular diastolic function. Objective. We sought to evaluate the effects of levosimendan on left ventricular diastolic function, using conventional transmitral Doppler and Doppler tissue imaging parameters, in patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty. Methods. After a successful primary angioplasty, we randomized 52 consecutive patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction to levosimendan or placebo infusion and analyzed the diastolic function using conventional transmitral Doppler flow and Doppler tissue imaging at mitral annulus. Results. At 24 hours after the index intervention, patients treated with levosimendan (n = 26) showed a significant reduction of the isovolumetric relaxation time (114.6 +/- 15.1-69.2 +/- 5.6 milliseconds; P = .001) and the ratio between the early diastolic flow and early tissue velocity (E/E') (21.4 +/- 10.7-12.8 +/- 7.3; P = .04), and a significant increase of the ratio between the early and late diastolic flow (E/A) (0.86 +/- 0.33-1.52 +/- 0.88; P = .03) and E' (6.4-7.9 cm/s; P = .001). On the other hand, only a significant increase in E/A ratio (0.97 +/- 0.32-1.64 0.51; P = .002) was observed in the placebo group (n = 26). Conclusions. Levosimendan, after primary angioplasty in patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction, appears to improve the Doppler echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular diastolic function.