Diastolic Strain Rate Research Articles

488-P: Subclinical Autonomic Neuropathy in Uncomplicated Type 2 Diabetes

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN), a common complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D), is often not detected until late in disease progression. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction impairs control of heart rate (HR) and vascular dynamics, manifesting as decreased HR variability (HRV) and impaired blood pressure (BP) regulation. We hypothesized that ANS function is impaired in participants with uncomplicated T2D and correlates with cardiac measures. We measured HRV during cycled breathing and Valsalva and postural HR and BP on overweight physically inactive adults aged 22-70 years with (N=53) and without (N=56) T2D. HRV with cycled breathing and Valsalva was lower in participants with T2D (p=0.007 and 0.005, respectively). HRV with respiration was lower with age >50 years (p=0.0001). HRV with respiration correlated with increased age in T2D but not in overweight control participants. There were no significant changes in postural BP or HR with age >50 years or T2D. Significant correlations between ANS measures and cardiac function were only seen in those with T2D. Valsalva ratio was positively correlated with end-diastolic volume (Pearson’s r 0.58, p=0.02) and stroke volume (Pearson’s r 0.55, p=0.03). HRV with respiration was positively correlated with longitudinal, diastolic peak strain rate (SR) (Pearson’s r 0.68, p=0.007). Postural BP was positively correlated with circumferential and longitudinal, systolic peak SR (Pearson’s r =0.45 and 0.48 and p-value=0.05 and 0.04, respectively) and negatively correlated with radial and circumferential peak strain (Pearson’s r =-0.49 and -0.48 and p-value=0.03 and 0.03, respectively). These data suggest subclinical CAN associated with cardiac dysfunction is present in people with otherwise uncomplicated T2D and is exacerbated with age. Detecting CAN changes early may identify people at risk for cardiac disease and inform targeted intervention to restore cardiometabolic health in people with T2D. Disclosure A.Johnston: None. L.A.Abushamat: None. D.Enge: None. A.J.Barker: None. E.W.Clark: None. D.Rafferty: None. J.G.Regensteiner: None. J.E.B.Reusch: Advisory Panel; Medtronic. Funding American Diabetes Association (1-21-CMF-003 to L.A.A.); National Institutes of Health (T32DK120520-01A1); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (CX001532)

Predictive value of diastolic function assessed by CMR feature tracking in patients with suspected myocarditis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Reduced left ventricular systolic function is a well established predictor for outcome in Patients with myocarditis. However, the predictive role of diastolic function in patients with suspected myocarditis and preserved ejection fraction is unknown. Purpose Assess the predicative value of diastolic left ventricular function in patients with suspected myocarditis. Methods Late and early radial, circumferential and longitudinal diastolic strain rate was assessed as using CMR feature tracking in patients with clinically suspected myocarditis being referred for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). The primary endpoint was defined as a composite of first major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including all-cause mortality, sustained ventricular tachycardia and hospitalization for heart failure. Results 755 consecutive patients with suspected myocarditis and referred for CMR (277, 37% female; mean age 48 ± 16years) were included. Of those late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was present in 417 (55.2%). 416 had a preserved ejection fraction >50% (55.1%). Mace was documented in 123 patients (16.3%) during a median observational time of 3.77 years. After adjustment for LVEF, LGE extend, age, and gender early circumferential strain rate (HR=0.35 95% CI 0.16–0.77, p = 0.009), early longitudinal diastolic strain rate (HR=0.40 95% CI 0.17–0.96, p = 0.042) and late diastolic strain rate (HR=0.23 95% CI 0.07–0.74, p = 0.013) remained independent predictors of MACE. Conclusion CMR feature tracking diastolic strain rate is independently associated with outcome, beyond LVEF and LGE in patients with myocarditis, and might therefore contribute to improved risk stratification in this sclinical setting.

Radiotherapy-induced changes in right ventricular function in patients with early-stage breast cancer

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Finnish state research funding for university-level health research Background In breast cancer patient’s adjuvant RT nearly doubles cardiac mortality, and in some subgroups long-term cardiovascular mortality exceeds cancer mortality. The effects of RT on left ventricle are well established, but studies concerning right ventricular (RV) changes are sparse. Methods The study population consisted of 31 patients with early-stage left-sided breast cancer who had undergone adjuvant therapy using modern RT delivery techniques. Echocardiographic examinations including right ventricular (RV) strain analysis were performed prior to the RT, immediately after, as well as three and six years after the RT. In addition, the patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CRM) imaging at six-year control. Results The mean RT dose to the RV free wall was 5.75±2.49 Gy. In echocardiography, basal early diastolic strain rate increased from 1.8±0.8 1/s to 2.3±0.9 1/s (p = 0.045), and the ratio of tricuspid inflow e and a-waves declined from 1.3±0.2 to 1.1±3.0 (p = 0.035), but there were no changes in global or regional strain or strain values in the six-year follow-up. In addition, In CMR imaging, the global circumferential strain values were associated with RV free wall RT dose (p = 0.005) with each mean Gy inducing 0.395% reduction in the circumferential strain [95% CI; −0.658, −0.120] whereas longitudinal strain was not associated with the RT dose. Conclusions Modern conformal breast cancer RT did not influence RV systolic function or result in clinically meaningful cardiac sequelae during six-year follow-up. Minor changes in RV diastolic function and the association between circumferential strain in CRM and the RT dose indicate that these parameters might be more sensitive in detecting RT-induced cardiac changes.

Cardiac function evaluated by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging in fetuses with congenital heart disease of ventricular afterload increase

Aims To study myocardial deformation in fetuses with ventricular afterload increase compared with gestational age-matched controls using speckle tracking echocardiography. Methods and results Eighty-nine fetuses were retrospectively selected from the pregnancy screen by echocardiography. There are 41 fetuses with gestational age-matched normal heart served as the control group, 25 fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) leading to left ventricular (LV) afterload increase as group LVA and 23 fetuses with CHD leading to right ventricular(RV) afterload increases as group RVA. LV and RV fractional shortening (FS) were measured by conventional methods. The longitudinal strain (LS) and strain rate (LSr) were analyzed by EchoPac software. Group LVA and RVA compared with control group, the LV FS was no significant difference, but LS and LSr values of LV were lower in fetuses with LVA compared to the control group (LS:−15.97(−12.50,−22.52)vs −27.53(−24.33,−29.16) %, p < .01; systolic strain rate (SRs):-1.34(−1.12,−2.16) vs −2.55(−2.28,−2.92) 1/sec, p < .01; early diastolic strain rate (SRe):1.70 ± 0.57 vs 2.46 ± 0.61 1/sec, p < 0.01; late diastolic strain rate (SRa):1.62 ± 0.82 vs 2.39 ± 0.81 1/sec, p < .01). LS and LSr values of LV or RV were lower in fetuses with RVA compared to the control group (LV: LS:−21.52 ± 6.68 vs −26.79 ± 3.22%, p < .01; SRs:-2.11 ± 0.78 vs −2.56 ± 0.43 1/sec; p = .02; RV: LS:−17.64 ± 7.58 vs −26.38 ± 3.97%, p < .01; SRs:−1.62 ± 0.67 vs −2.37 ± 0.44 1/sec; p < .01). Conclusion The results of this study showed that the ventricular LS, LSr, SRs, SRe, SRa values were lower in fetuses with LV or RV afterload increasing CHD estimated by speckle tracking imaging but LV and RV FS were normal,which indicated the strain imaging is feasible in evaluating cardiac function of fetus, and may be more sensitive.

Influence of hypertension on systolic and diastolic left ventricular function including segmental strain and strain rate.

Left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions are important cardiovascular risk predictors in patients with hypertension. However, data on segmental, layer-specific strain, and diastolic strain rates in these patients are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate segmental two-dimensional strain rate imaging (SRI)-derived parameters to characterize LV systolic and diastolic function in hypertensive individuals compared with that in normotensive individuals. The study sample comprised 1194 participants from the population-based Know Your Heart study in Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, Russia, and 1013 individuals from the Seventh Tromsø Study in Norway. The study population was divided into four subgroups: (A) healthy individuals with normal blood pressure (BP), (B) individuals on antihypertensive medication with normal BP, (C) individuals with systolic BP 140-159mmHg and/or diastolic BP>90mm HG, and (D) individuals with systolic BP ≥160mmHg. In addition to conventional echocardiographic parameters, global and segmental layer-specific strains and strain rates in early diastole and atrial contraction (SR E, SR A) were extracted. The strain and SR (S/SR) analysis included only segments without strain curve artifacts. With increasing BP, the systolic and diastolic global and segmental S/SR gradually decreased. SR E, a marker of impaired relaxation, showed the most distinctive differences between the groups. In normotensive controls and the three hypertension groups, all segmental parameters displayed apico-basal gradients, with the lowest S/SR in the basal septal and highest in apical segments. Only SR A did not differ between the segmental groups but increased gradually with increasing BP. End-systolic strain showed incremental epi-towards endocardial gradients, irrespective of the study group. Arterial hypertension reduces global and segmental systolic and diastolic left ventricular S/SR parameters. Impaired relaxation determined by SR E is the dominant factor of diastolic dysfunction, whereas end-diastolic compliance (by SR A) does not seem to be influenced by different degrees of hypertension. Segmental strain, SR E and SR A provide new insights into the LV cardio mechanics in hypertensive hearts.

Right Ventricular Function Indices at Rest and During Exercise in Hyperthyroid Patients: A Cross-sectional Study.

Since hyperthyroidism could be associated with right ventricular dysfunction, this study intended to investigate right ventricular (RV) function using strain echocardiography in hyperthyroid patients both at rest and in maximum-stress conditions. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Tehran, Iran, from January 2019 to January 2020. All study participants completed a maximum treadmill exercise test, as well as a complete two-dimensional echocardiogram at rest and the peak of stress test. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The independent samples t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for numerical, and the Chi square test was used for nominal variables. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The final analysis included 52 participants (26 subjects in each group). In a maximal stress situation, we found that among the RV function indices, RV global longitudinal strain (P=0.0001), systolic strain rate (P=0.0001), diastolic strain rate (P=0.0002), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (P=0.019) werereduced significantly in the hyperthyroid patients compared to the control group. There was also a linear correlation between RV size and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level (P=0.009, r=0.36). Moreover, we found a negative linear correlation between TSH level with maximum stress RV strain and diastolic strain rate (P<0.001). The findings of the present study revealed a significant change in RV function indices among hyperthyroid patients. Therefore, it highlights the necessity of early diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism, as well as RV function evaluation in these patients.

Identification of an increased lifetime risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in UK Biobank participants with scoliosis

BackgroundStructural changes caused by spinal curvature may impact the organs within the thoracic cage, including the heart. Cardiac abnormalities in patients with idiopathic scoliosis are often studied post-corrective surgery or...

Association of abdominal adiposity, hepatic shear stiffness with subclinical left-ventricular remodeling evaluated by magnetic resonance in adults free of overt cardiovascular diseases: a prospective study

BackgroundAbdominal ectopic fat deposition and excess visceral fat depots in obesity may be related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) as both are involved in the metabolic syndrome (MetS). The awareness of the link between abdominal adiposity and subclinical cardiac remodeling would help improve treatment and outcome. Besides, liver fibrosis has also shown a potential relationship with cardiac dysfunction. Thus, we aimed to investigate the associations of magnetic resonance (MR)-based abdominal adiposity and hepatic shear stiffness with subclinical left ventricular (LV) remodeling while taking account of MetS-related confounders in adults free of overt CVD.MethodsThis was an exploratory, prospective study of 88 adults (46 subjects with obesity, 42 healthy controls) who underwent 3 T cardiac and body MR exams. Measures of abdominal MR included hepatic and pancreatic proton density fat fraction (H-PDFF and P-PDFF), hepatic shear stiffness by MR elastography, and subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue (SAT and VAT). Cardiac measures included epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and parameters of LV geometry and function. Associations were assessed using Pearson correlation and multivariable linear regression analyses, in which age, sex, and MetS-related confounders were adjusted for.ResultsThe LV ejection fractions of all participants were within the normal range. Higher H-PDFF, P-PDFF, SAT and VAT were independently associated with lower LV global myocardial strain parameters (radial, circumferential and longitudinal peak strain [PS], longitudinal peak systolic strain rate and diastolic strain rate) (β = − 0.001 to − 0.41, p < 0.05), and P-PDFF, SAT and VAT were independently and positively associated with LV end-diastolic volume and stroke volume (β = 0.09 to 3.08, p ≤ 0.02) in the over-all cohort. In the obesity subgroup, higher P-PDFF and VAT were independently associated with lower circumferential and longitudinal PS, respectively (β = − 0.29 to − 0.05, p ≤ 0.01). No independent correlation between hepatic shear stiffness and EAT or LV remodeling was found (all p ≥ 0.05).ConclusionsEctopic fat depositions in the liver and pancreas, and excess abdominal adipose tissue pose a risk of subclinical LV remodeling beyond MetS-related CVD risk factors in adults without overt CVD. VAT may play a more considerable role as a risk factor for subclinical LV dysfunction than does SAT in individuals with obesity. The underlying mechanisms of these associations and their longitudinal clinical implications need further investigation.

Cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking technique can assess cardiac function and prognosis in patients with myocardial amyloidosis

To quantitatively assess cardiac functions in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking (CMR-FT) technique and evaluate the prognostic value of CMR-FT in patients with CA. We retrospectively collected the data from 31 CA patients with systemic amyloidosis confirmed by Congo red staining and serum immunohistochemistry after extracardiac tissue biopsy undergoing CMR at our hospital from March, 2013 to June, 2021.Thirty-one age and gender matched patients with asymmetric left ventricular wall hypertrophy and 31 healthy individuals without organic or functional heart disease served as the controls.Radial, circumferential and longitudinal strains and strain rates of the left ventricle at the global level and in each myocardial segment (basal, middle and apical) were obtained with CMR-FT technique and compared among the 3 groups.The predictive value of myocardial strains and strain rates for all-cause mortality in CA patients was analyzed using a stepwise COX regression model. The left ventricular volume, myocardial mass, ejection fraction and cardiac output differed significantly among the groups (P < 0.05).Except for apical longitudinal strain, the global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in HCM group (P < 0.05).The global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05).The basal strain rates in the 3 directions were significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05), but the difference in apical strain rates was not statistically significant between the two groups.Multivariate stepwise COX analysis showed that troponin T (HR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.01-1.10, P=0.017) and middle peak diastolic circumferential strain rate (HR=6.87, 95%CI: 1.52-31.06, P=0.012) were strong predictors of death in CA patients. Strain and strain rate parameters derived from CMR-FT based on cine sequences are new noninvasive imaging markers for assessing cardiac impairment in CA and cardiac function changes in HCM, and provide independent predictive information for all-cause mortality in CA patients.

Application of two dimensional speckle tracking imaging in the follow up of patients with coronary heart disease treated with metalol

Purpose: To investigate the application of two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) in the follow-up of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) who were treated with metalol. Methods: A total of 100 patients with CHD (CHD group) who were treated with metalol and had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at Tangshan Works’ Hospital, Tangshan, China, and another 100 healthy people (control group) were enrolled in this study. Prior to and after 6 months of treatment, echocardiography was performed on patients in control and CHD groups, respectively, and the wall motion score was calculated. The 2D-STI was used to obtain systolic peak longitudinal strain value (SLs), global peak longitudinal strain (GSL) and early diastolic peak longitudinal strain rate (SrLe) in the early diastolic period of 6 wall basal segments, middle segments, and apical segments of the left ventricle. Results: The wall motion score index (WMSI) of CHD group was higher than that of the control group, while the WMSI of CHD group after treatment was significantly lower than the value before treatment, (p &lt; 0.05). In 2D-STI, the SLs, SrLe and GLS of patients after 6 months of treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: Thus, 2D-STI can be used to quantify the motion of the chamber wall and the effect of PCI surgery, and it also provides a stable new index and technique for evaluating the effects of treatment of CHD.

Myocardial Tissue-Level Characteristics of Adults With Metabolically Healthy Obesity

BackgroundIt remains unclear whether adults with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) have altered myocardial tissue-level characteristics. ObjectivesThis study aims to assess the subclinical myocardial tissue-level characteristics of adults with MHO. MethodsThe EARLY-MYO-OBESITY (EARLY Assessment of MYOcardial Tissue Characteristics in OBESITY; NCT05277779) registry was a prospective, 3-center, cardiac imaging study of obese nondiabetic individuals without cardiac symptoms who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance. Myocardial tissue-level characteristics, including extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and native T2 values, were measured as indicators of myocardial fibrosis and edema. Global longitudinal peak systolic strain and early diastolic longitudinal strain rate were assessed by tissue tracking analysis to detect subclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction. ResultsA total of 120 participants were included: MHO (n = 32; mean age, 38 years; 41% men), metabolically healthy controls without obesity (n = 32; mean age: 37 years; 41% men), and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUHO) (n = 56; mean age: 37 years; 55% men). The MHO group had higher ECV and native T2 values than healthy controls (both P < 0.001); furthermore, the ECV was higher in the MUHO group than in the MHO group (P = 0.002). The prevalence of myocardial fibrosis was 44% (14 of 32) in the MHO group and 71% (40 of 56) in the MUHO group. Although there was no intergroup difference in left ventricular ejection fraction, the MHO group had reduced global longitudinal peak systolic and early diastolic longitudinal strain rates, indicating subclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Multivariate regression analysis identified increased body mass index to be an independent risk factor for myocardial fibrosis (OR: 6.28 [95% CI: 3.17-12.47]; P < 0.001). ConclusionsThis study provides the first evidence of subclinical myocardial tissue-level remodeling in adults with obesity, regardless of metabolic health. Early identification of cardiac impairment may facilitate preventive strategies against heart failure in the MHO population. (EARLY Assessment of MYOcardial Tissue Characteristics in OBESITY [EARLY-MYO-OBESITY]; NCT05277779)

Cardiovascular indicators associated with ventricular remodeling in chronic high-altitude disease: a cardiovascular MRI study.

This study aimed to assess biventricular function and mechanics in patients with the chronic high-altitude disease (CHAD) using cardiovascular MRI and explore the possible risk factors associated with ventricular remodeling. In this prospective study, consecutive CHAD patients and healthy controls at high-altitude (HA) and at sea level (SL) underwent cardiovascular MRI. Right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function and global strain parameters were compared. To identify risk factors associated with ventricular remodeling, multiple linear regression analyses were used. A total of 33 patients with CHAD (42.97years ± 11.80; 23 men), 33 HA (41.18years ± 8.58; 21 men), and 33 SL healthy controls (43.48years ± 13.40; 21 men) were included. A Significantly decreased biventricular ejection fraction was observed in patients (all p < 0.05). Additionally, the HA group displayed lower magnitudes of biventricular longitudinal peak strain (PS) (RV, - 13.67% ± 4.05 vs. - 16.22% ± 3.03; LV, - 14.68% ± 2.20 vs. - 16.19% ± 2.51; both p < 0.05), but a higher LV circumferential PS (- 20.74% ± 2.02 vs. - 19.17% ± 2.34, p < 0.05) than the SL group. Moreover, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that HGB (β = 0.548) was related to the LV remodeling index, whereas BUN (β = 0.570) was associated with the RV remodeling index. With the deterioration of RV function in patients with CHAD, LV function was also impaired concomitantly. Hypoxia-induced erythrocytosis may contribute to LV impairment, while BUN was considered an independent risk factor for RV remodeling. • A significantly lower biventricular ejection fraction was observed in patients, with a decreased magnitude of left ventricular (LV) peak systolic strain rate (radial and circumferential) and peak diastolic strain rate (all p < 0.05). • High-altitude healthy natives showed a lower biventricular longitudinal peak strain (all p < 0.05). • Hemoglobin was related to LV remodeling (β = 0.548), while BUN (β = 0.570) was independently associated with RV remodeling in CHAD patients.

Childhood Cancer Survivors Have Impaired Strain-Derived Myocardial Contractile Reserve by Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography.

Abnormal left ventricular contractile reserve (LVCR) is associated with adverse cardiac outcomes in different patient cohorts and might be useful in the detection of cardiomyopathy in childhood cancer survivors (CCS) after cardiotoxic treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate LVCR by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) combined with measures of myocardial strain in CCS previously treated with anthracyclines (AC). Fifty-three CCS (age 25.34 ± 2.44 years, 35 male) and 53 healthy controls (age 24.40 ± 2.40 years, 32 male) were included. Subjects were examined with echocardiography at rest, at low-dose (5 micrograms/kg/min), and at high-dose (40 micrograms/kg/min) dobutamine infusion. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS), strain rate (GSR), and early diastolic strain rate (GEDSR) at different DSE phases were used as measures of LVCR. The mean follow-up time among CCS was 15.8 ± 5.8 years. GLS, GSR, and LVEF were lower at rest in CCS compared to controls (p ≤ 0.03). LVEF was within the normal range in CCS. ΔGLS, ΔGSR, and ΔGEDSR but not ΔLVEF were lower in CCS compared to controls after both low- (p ≤ 0.048) and high-dose dobutamine infusion (p ≤ 0.023). We conclude that strain measures during low-dose DSE detect impaired myocardial contractile reserve in young CCS treated with AC at 15-year follow-up. Thus, DSE may help identify asymptomatic CCS at risk for heart failure and allows for tailored follow-up accordingly.

Myocardial steatosis impairs left ventricular diastolic-systolic coupling in healthy humans.

Mounting evidence suggests that myocardial steatosis contributes to left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, but definitive evidence in humans is lacking due to confounding comorbidities. As such, we utilized a 48-h food restriction model to acutely increase myocardial triglyceride (mTG) content - measured by 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy - in 27 young healthy volunteers (13men/14 women). Forty-eight hours of fasting caused a more than 3-fold increase in mTG content (P<0.001). Diastolic function - defined as early diastolic circumferential strain rate (CSRd) - was unchanged following the 48-h fasting intervention, but systolic circumferential strain rate was elevated (P<0.001), indicative of systolic-diastolic uncoupling. Indeed, in a separate control experiment in 10 individuals, administration of low-dose dobutamine (2μg/kg/min) caused a similar change in systolic circumferential strain rate as was found during 48h of food restriction, along with a proportionate increase in CSRd, such that the two metrics remained coupled. Taken together, these data indicate that myocardial steatosis contributes to diastolic dysfunction by impairing diastolic-systolic coupling in healthy adults, and suggest that steatosis may contribute to the progression of heart disease. KEY POINTS: Preclinical evidence strongly suggests that myocardial lipid accumulation (termed steatosis) is an important mechanism driving heart disease. Definitive evidence in humans is limited due to the confounding influence of multiple underlying comorbidities. Using a 48-h food restriction model to acutely increase myocardial triglyceride content in young healthy volunteers, we demonstrate an association between myocardial steatosis and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. These data advance the hypothesis that myocardial steatosis may contribute to diastolic dysfunction and suggest myocardial steatosis as a putative therapeutic target.

Improved computation of Lagrangian tissue displacement and strain for cine DENSE MRI using a regularized spatiotemporal least squares method.

In displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE), tissue displacement is encoded in the signal phase such that the phase of each pixel in space and time provides an independent measurement of absolute tissue displacement. Previously for DENSE, estimation of Lagrangian displacement used two steps: first a spatial interpolation and, second, least squares fitting through time to a Fourier or polynomial model. However, there is no strong rationale for such a through-time model. To compute the Lagrangian displacement field from DENSE phase data, a minimization problem is introduced to enforce fidelity with the acquired Eulerian displacement data while simultaneously providing model-independent regularization in space and time, enforcing only spatiotemporal smoothness. A regularized spatiotemporal least squares (RSTLS) method is used to solve the minimization problem, and RSTLS was tested using two-dimensional DENSE data from 71 healthy volunteers. The mean absolute percent error (MAPE) between the Lagrangian displacements and the corresponding Eulerian displacements was significantly lower for the RSTLS method vs. the two-step method for both x- and y-directions (0.73±0.59 vs 0.83 ±0.1, p < 0.05) and (0.75±0.66 vs 0.82 ±0.1, p < 0.05), respectively. Also, peak early diastolic strain rate (PEDSR) was higher (1.81±0.58 (s-1) vs. 1.56±0. 63 (s-1), p<0.05) and the strain rate during diastasis was lower (0.14±0.18 (s-1) vs 0.35±0.2 (s-1), p < 0.05) for the RSTLS vs. the two-step method, with the former suggesting that the two-step method was over-regularized. The proposed RSTLS method provides more realistic measurements of Lagrangian displacement and strain from DENSE images without imposing arbitrary motion models.

Cardiac Mechanics and Kidney Function Decline in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Clinical heart failure frequently coexists with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may precipitate kidney function decline. However, whether earlier-stage myocardial dysfunction assessable by speckle tracking echocardiography is a contributor to kidney function decline remains unknown. We studied 2135 Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) participants who were free of clinical heart failure and had Year 2-baseline 2D speckle tracking echocardiography and two measurements of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (Year 2 and Year 9). "Archival" speckle tracking of digitized echocardiogram videotapes was utilized to measure left ventricular longitudinal strain (LVLS), LV early diastolic strain rate (EDSR), left atrial reservoir strain (LARS), right ventricular free wall strain (RVFWS), and mitral annular velocity (e'). Multivariable Poisson regression models that adjusted for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors were used to investigate the independent associations of cardiac mechanics indices and decline in kidney function defined as a 30% decline in eGFR over 7 years. In risk factor (RF) models LVLS, EDSR, RVFWS, and e' were all significantly associated with the prevalence of kidney disease. After multivariable adjustment, left atrial dysfunction (RR 1.18 [95% CI 1.01, 1.38] per SD lower LARS] and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (RR 1.21 [95% CI 1.04, 1.41] per SD lower EDSR) were each significantly associated with 30% decline in eGFR. Subclinical myocardial dysfunction suggesting abnormal diastolic function detected by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography was independently associated with decline in kidney function over time. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms of these associations and to test whether interventions that may improve subclinical myocardial dysfunction can prevent decline of kidney function.

Left atrial strain rate: marker of hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis?

Aim: To assess the diagnostic value of left atrial deformation parameters during dobutamine stress echocardiography to predict significant coronary artery stenosis in patients with moderate pretest probability of coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials& methods: Rest and stress echocardiography were performed on 61 patients with a moderate and high probability of CAD. Based on presence of CAD patients were divided into pathological and nonpathological groups. Results: Early diastolic strain rate (LAe SR) was significantly lower among the pathological group at high dobutamine doses. LAe SR was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve and threshold prognostic value was set of -2.05 (sensitivity 78%, specificity 50%, area under the curve 0.638; p=0.026). Conclusion: Measuring LAe SR has predictive value and might be a helpful parameter in assessing ischemia.

Ultrasound beam angle-independent evaluation of left ventricular filling pressure using three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

E/e′ is a major parameter in the algorithm for estimating left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) by echocardiography.1 However, E and e′ can be affected by Doppler beam malalignment. Moreover, regional e′ is used as an extrapolation of global left ventricular (LV) relaxation. These limitations may cause the estimation of LVFP to be inaccurate in some conditions. In the multicentre Euro-Filling study, E/e′ was weakly correlated with LV end-diastolic pressure but was not an independent parameter correlated with end-diastolic pressure in patients with an ejection fraction (EF) <50%.2 Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography allows the simultaneous evaluation of LV volume and global myocardial strain. The early diastolic filling rate (FRe), derived from the rate of LV volume change (dV/dt), is theoretically expected to reflect transmitral E, and the early diastolic global strain rate (SRe) correlates with the time constant of global LV relaxation better than e′.3 Furthermore, FRe and SRe are independent of the ultrasound beam angle because they are not measured by the Doppler method. Therefore, FRe/SRe may be used to estimate LVFP, even under conditions where the use of E/e′ is limited. In canine models, we have reported that FRe/SRe correlates well with simultaneously measured LVFP and provides a better estimate of LVFP than E/e′;4,5 however, the utility of FRe/SRe in the clinical setting remains unclear.

Effect of concomitant atrial septal defect on left ventricular function in adult patients with unrepaired Ebstein's anomaly: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging study

BackgroundDue to the heterogeneity of anatomic anomalies in Ebstein's anomaly (EA), particularly in the subset of patients with atrial septal defect (ASD), hemodynamic changes, which ultimately cause left ventricular (LV) deterioration remain unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of concomitant ASD on LV function using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with EA. MethodsThis study included 31 EA patients with ASD, 76 EA patients without ASD, 35 patients with simple ASD and 40 healthy controls. Left/right ventricular (RV, the RV was defined as a summation of the functional RV and atrialized RV in EA patients) volumes and functional parameters, LV strain parameters, and echocardiogram indices were compared among the four groups. Associations between variables were evaluated via Spearman or Pearson correlation analyses. The association between risk factors and LV ejection fraction (EF) was determined via multivariate linear regression analysis. ResultsBoth EA patients and ASD patients had a higher RV/LV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV/LVEDV) as well as lower LV and RV ejection fractions (LVEF/RVEF) compared to healthy controls (all p < 0.05). Moreover, the EA patients with ASD had a significantly higher RVEDV/LVEDV and a lower LVEF and RVEF than those without ASD (all p < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the presence of ASD was independently associated with LVEF (β = − 0.337, p < 0.001). The RVEDV/LVEDV index was associated with LVEF (r = − 0.361, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the LV longitudinal peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR) was lower in EA patients with ASD than those without ASD, patients with simple ASD, and healthy controls (p < 0.05). ConclusionConcomitant ASD is an important risk factor of LV dysfunction in patients with EA, and diastolic dysfunction is likely the predominate mechanism related to LV dysfunction.

Impact of glycemic control on biventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cardiac magnetic resonance tissue tracking study

BackgroundPoor glycemic control is associated with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Nonetheless, the association between glycemic control and right ventricular (RV) function in T2DM has not been studied. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between glycemic control and biventricular function and assess whether one ventricular function was mediated by the other ventricular changes using cardiac magnetic resonance.Materials and methodsA total of 91 T2DM patients with normal ejection fraction were enrolled and divided into two groups according to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with a cut off 7%. Twenty controls were included. Biventricular ventricular strain parameters, including global peak systolic radial strain, global peak systolic circumferential strain (GCS), global peak systolic longitudinal strain (GLS), peak diastolic radial strain rate (RSR), peak diastolic circumferential strain rate (CSR) and peak diastolic longitudinal strain rate (LSR) were measured.ResultsCompared with controls, patients with both HbA1c < 7% and HbA1c ≥ 7% showed significantly lower LVGCS, LVGLS, LVCSR, LVLSR, RVGLS, RVRSR, RVCSR and RVLSR. Patients with HbA1c ≥ 7% elicited significantly higher RVGCS than controls and lower LVGLS, LVCSR, LVLSR, RVGLS and RVLSR. Multivariable linear regression demonstrated that HbA1c was independently associated with LVGLS, LVLSR, RVGLS and RVLSR after adjustment for traditional risk factors. LV (RV) was not statistically mediated by the other ventricular alterations.ConclusionIn T2DM patients, glycemic control was independently associated with impaired LV and RV systolic and diastolic function and these associations were not mediated by the other ventricular changes.