Abstract 14958: Global Longitudinal Strain is a Superior Predictor of All-cause Mortality Compared to Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Male Patients with Heart Failure and Without Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Object: Myocardial strain deformation analysis (global strain) may be superior to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in predicting all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. Methods: In this retrospective study transthoracic echocardiographic examinations were retrieved from Gentofte Hospital heart failure clinic’s database in 1061 patients. The echocardiographic images were subsequently analyzed and conventional echocardiographic parameters and strain data were obtained. Results: During a median follow-up of 40 months 177 (16.7 %) patient died. Mean LVEF was 23.7 % and mean global strain was -8.12.884 (83.3%) were patients alive at follow-up and mean LVEF was 28.2 % while mean global strain was -9.86 %. The risk of dying increased with decreasing tertile of global strain being approximately three times higher for the patients in the lower tertile compared to the highest tertile (1. tertile vs 3. tertile HR: 3.38 95% CI: 2.3 [[Unable to Display Character: –]] 5.1), p-value: 0.001. Many of the conventional echocardiographic parameters proved to be predictors of mortality. Global strain remained an independent predictor of mortality in cox proportional-hazards models after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, total cholesterol, heart rate, atrial fibrillation, non-independent diabetes mellitus and conventional echocardiographic parameters (p-value: 0.014, 95% CI: 1.04 [[Unable to Display Character: –]] 1.37) while ejection fraction proved to be insignificant adjusted for aforementioned characteristics (p-value: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.96 [[Unable to Display Character: –]] 1.05 Atrial fibrillation modified the relationship between GLS and mortality (p for interaction = 0.023). HR 1.08 (CI 0.97 to 1.19, p=0.150) and HR 1.22 (CI 1.15 to 1.29, p<0.001) per 10 % decrease in GLS for patients with and without atrial fibrillation, respectively. Gender also modified the relationship between mean GLS and mortality (p for interaction = 0.047); HR 1.23 (CI 1.16 to 1.30, p<0.001) and HR 1.09 (CI 0.99 to 1.20, p=0.083) per 10 % decrease in GLS for men and women, respectively. Conclusion: In male patients with systolic heart failure and without atrial fibrillation global strain is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, global strain proved to be a superior prognosticator when compared to left ventricular ejection fraction.