Age-related changes in four-dimensional CMR-derived atrioventricular junction velocities and displacements: Implications for the identification of altered annular dynamics for ventricular function assessment

Background: We determined the age-related changes in atrioventricular junction (AVJ) velocities and displacements by feature tracking cardiovascular magnetic resonance (FT-CMR) in a healthy community-based population. We also investigated the importance of age-matching for the identification of altered AVJ dynamics. Methods: FT-CMR was performed in 230 controls (18–78 years) and in two patient groups each consisting of 40 subjects (group 1: 23–55 years, group 2: 56–80 years). AVJ dynamic parameters, including systolic velocity Sm, early diastolic velocity Em, late diastolic velocity Am, maximal systolic excursion MAPSE and the new parameter sweep surface area velocity SSAV were measured. Results: Increasing age in the control group was significantly associated with reductions in Sm, Em, MAPSE (r = −0.40, −0.76, −0.34, all P