Investigation of left ventricular strain by speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with preserved ejection fraction

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the left ventricular strain parameters by speckle - tracking echocardiography in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with preserved ejection fraction. Find out the correlations and relationships between strain parameters with some conventional left ventricular echocardiographic indictors, Pulmonary artery pressure systolic, TAPSE index. Materials and methods: A controlled cross-sectional descriptive study consisted of 51 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosed according to GOLD 2023. The control group consisted of 52 people with normal lung function. Results: Values ​​of strain parameters on speckle - tracking echocardiography in patients with COPD: GLS (%): -13.52 ± 1.77; GLSR (1/s): -1.64 ± 0.28; GCS (%): -22.07 ± 2.27; GCSR (1/s): -2.70 ± 0.38; longitudinal - circumference index: -17.80 ± 1.71; EF STE (%): 54.21 ± 4.23. These parameters were all reduced compared with the control group with p < 0.05 while there was no statistically significant change of the indices on routine echocardiography. There was no correlation between the parameters of left ventricular systolic strain and the LVMI, FS and LVEF values ​​measured by M-Mode. Meanwhile, there is a positive correlation with PAPs (r = 0.499 - 0.629, p<0.001). There is a negative correlation between GLS and TAPSE index (r = -0.311, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Speckle - tracking echocardiography helps in early detection of cardiac dysfunction, especially left ventricular systolic function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease even when EF is normal. Key words: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Speckle tracking echocardiography.