Left ventricle (LV) performance was assessed by echocardiography (2-D and M-mode) in 30 patients with chronic severe anaemia and an equal number of age and sex matched healthy controls. Patients with anaemia were divided into two groups: those with tachycardia (pulse rate more than 100 per min) and those without. LV performance indices computed were LV ejection fraction (LVEF), % fractional shortening (FS), cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume index (SVI). In patients of anaemia with tachycardia, LVEF was 48.6 +/- 8.41 (mean +/- SEM) vs 71.6 +/- 4.96 among controls. Percentage FS was 19.93 +/- 4.21 vs 36.0 +/- 4.5, CI 5.46 +/- 1.2 vs 3.1 +/- 0.78 l/min/m2, and stroke index 48.6 +/- 12.2 vs 41.5 +/- 10.7 ml/beat/m2. In patients without tachycardia, LVEF was 55.1 +/- 8.86, percentage FS 23.6 +/- 5.42, CI 2.87 +/- 0.526 and stroke index 41.34 +/- 12.1. These findings suggest that LV performance was depressed in both groups of patients with anaemia but LV function was better in patients without tachycardia.