CATECHOLAMINES INDUCE LEFT VENTRICULAR SUBCLINICAL SYSTOLIC DYSFUNCTION

Abstract

Objective: Pheochromocytomas (PHEO) are tumors arising from chromaffin cells from the adrenal medulla, having ability to produce, metabolize and secrete catecholamines. The catecholamines overproduction leads by many mechanisms to impairment in left ventricle (LV) function, however, endocardial measurement of systolic function did not find any differences between patients with PHEO and essential hypertension (EH). The aim of the study was to investigate whether global longitudinal strain (GLS) derived from speckle-tracking echocardiography can detect catecholamines-induced subclinical impairments in systolic function. Design and method: We analyzed 17 patients (10 females and 7 males) with PHEO and 18 patients (9 females and 9 males) with EH. The groups did not differ in age or in 24-hour blood pressure values Results: The patients with PHEO did not differ in echocardiographic parameters including LV ejection fraction compared to the EH patients (0.69 ± 0.04 vs. 0.71 ± 0.05; NS), nevertheless, in spackle tracking analysis, the patients with PHEO had significantly lower GLS than the EH patients (−14.8 ± 1.5 vs. −17.8 ± 1.7; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with PHEO have a lower magnitude of GLS than patients with EH, suggesting that catecholamines induce a subclinical decline in LV systolic function.