Introduction to Pressure–Volume (PV) Loops Pressure–volume (PV) loops are one of the most powerful tools used in cardiovascular physiology to understand how the heart works during each heartbeat. They combine pressure and volume changes in the left ventricle into a single diagram that tells a detailed story about cardiac performance. When learning PV loops the … Read more
Introduction Using conductance catheterization to determine suitability of repair in CCTGA patients has emerged as a powerful diagnostic strategy in modern congenital cardiology. Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) is a rare and complex heart condition where the heart’s ventricles and great arteries are anatomically reversed, yet blood flows in a physiologically “corrected” … Read more
Introduction to Pressure–Volume (PV) Loops in Cardiology Pressure–volume (PV) loops are one of the most useful tools in cardiology for understanding how the heart works. A PV loop shows how pressure and volume inside the left ventricle change during one heartbeat. By looking at the shape and size of the loop, doctors and students can … Read more
Baan’s equation forms the mathematical and physiological foundation of conductance-based pressure–volume (PV) loop technology. This method allows real-time, beat-to-beat measurement of left ventricular volume inside the intact, beating heart—making it one of the most powerful tools for studying cardiac mechanics, ventricular-arterial coupling, and contractility. Traditional PV measurements relied on imaging or indicator dilution techniques, which … Read more
Introduction to PV Loop Hemodynamics The study of PV Loop Hemodynamics: Chronic vs Acute Heart Failure helps doctors understand how the heart changes during different stages of disease. Pressure-volume loops give a visual picture of how much pressure the left ventricle produces and how much blood it holds during a heartbeat. Because the heart works … Read more
Introduction to Lusitropy and the PV Loop Relationship The Lusitropy PV Loop represents a fundamental connection between myocardial relaxation and the mechanical performance of the heart. While inotropy describes the strength of cardiac contraction, lusitropy defines the rate and efficiency of cardiac relaxation during diastole. Understanding this relationship is vital for evaluating heart function, especially … Read more
Introduction to Arterial Elastance (Ea) The cardiovascular system is a masterpiece of balance between the heart’s pumping power and the arteries’ ability to accommodate blood. One of the key parameters that defines this balance is Arterial Elastance (Ea). In simple terms, Ea represents the net arterial load faced by the left ventricle during ejection — … Read more
Introduction to Cardiac Physiology The human heart operates as a dynamic pump, adapting to constantly changing circulatory demands. At the core of this adaptability lies the pressure-volume relationship, which reflects how the ventricles fill and eject blood during each heartbeat. Among these relationships, two critical parameters — preload and the end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship (EDPVR) — … Read more
What Is Tau (Diastolic Relaxation Time)? Defining Tau in Cardiac Physiology In cardiovascular physiology, Tau represents the time constant of left ventricular relaxation — a key parameter used to describe how efficiently the heart muscle relaxes during diastole. It quantifies the exponential decline in ventricular pressure after systole when the myocardium transitions from contraction to … Read more
Introduction to ESPVR The end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) is one of the most important concepts in cardiovascular physiology. It provides a load-independent measure of cardiac contractility, making it an invaluable tool in both research and clinical practice. By analyzing the slope of the ESPVR line on a pressure-volume (PV) loop, clinicians and researchers can gain … Read more