Evaluation Of Diastolic Function Research Articles

Tricuspid valve flow measurement using a deep learning framework for automated valve-tracking 2D phase contrast.

Tricuspid valve flow velocities are challenging to measure with cardiovascular MR, as the rapidly moving valvular plane prohibits direct flow evaluation, but they are vitally important to diastolic function evaluation. We developed an automated valve-tracking 2D method for measuring flow through the dynamic tricuspid valve. Nine healthy subjects and 2 patients were imaged. The approach uses a previously trained deep learning network, TVnet, to automatically track the tricuspid valve plane from long-axis cine images. Subsequently, the tracking information is used to acquire 2D phase contrast (PC) with a dynamic (moving) acquisition plane that tracks the valve. Direct diastolic net flows evaluated from the dynamic PC sequence were compared with flows from 2D-PC scans acquired in a static slice localized at the end-systolic valve position, and also ventricular stroke volumes (SVs) using both planimetry and 2D PC of the great vessels. The mean tricuspid valve systolic excursion was 17.8 ± 2.5 mm. The 2D valve-tracking PC net diastolic flow showed excellent correlation with SV by right-ventricle planimetry (bias ± 1.96 SD = -0.2 ± 10.4 mL, intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.92) and aortic PC (-1.0 ± 13.8 mL, ICC = 0.87). In comparison, static tricuspid valve 2D PC also showed a strong correlation but had greater bias (p = 0.01) versus the right-ventricle SV (10.6 ± 16.1 mL, ICC = 0.61). In most (8 of 9) healthy subjects, trace regurgitation was measured at begin-systole. In one patient, valve-tracking PC displayed a high-velocity jet (380 cm/s) with maximal velocity agreeing with echocardiography. Automated valve-tracking 2D PC is a feasible route toward evaluation of tricuspid regurgitant velocities, potentially solving a major clinical challenge.

Left ventricular diastolic function in atrial fibrillation: Methodological implications and clinical considerations.

The assessment of LVDD is routinely included in echocardiographic evaluation because it correlates with cardiac disease progression and its prognostic value. Classic parameters used for assessing LV diastolic function correlate well with invasive measurements which remains the gold standard. Nevertheless, no one echocardiographic parameter alone can completely evaluate LVDD. LV diastolic function evaluation in atrial fibrillation is still challenging, since the E/A ratio, one of the most used parameters in echocardiographic evaluation, cannot be feasible. This is not a good reason to give up measurement. In this review, we analyze the different methods for estimating LV diastolic function in atrial fibrillation, including measurement not dependent on atrial systole and some novel methods that are promising, but not ever available during clinical practice highlighting that this assessment is mandatory for a complete clinical evaluation of the patients.

Реєстр PULSE-COR: взаємозв’язок між еластичністю лівого шлуночка та жорсткістю артерій у пацієнтів з есенціальною артеріальною гіпертензією

For a long time, the problem of the formation of diastolic dysfunction (DD) of the left ventricle (LV) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) remained insufficiently studied. It was demonstrated that the formation of LV DD is largely related to the increase in stiffness of this heart chamber. We decided to evaluate the extent to which increased LV stiffness, determined noninvasively by echocardiography, is associated with LV diastolic dysfunction and determine the relationship of this method with arterial stiffness indicators for which validated methods have been developed.Materials and methods. A one-center registry called PULSE-COR was established in 2011 and is still in operation. There were 779 AH participants in our sample. A distinct cohort of patients (n=283) with essential AH and no substantial comorbidities were found from the final analysis, which comprised 320 patients who had undergone all requisite diagnostic procedures. Our tool of choice for measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was the SphygmoCor device (AtCor, Australia). We also used the VaSera 1500 device (Fukuda Denshi, Japan) to measure cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and ankle-brachial index (ABI). Vascular ultrasound and intima-media thickness measurement (IMT) were included in the ultrasound diagnosis. The ASE 2016 recommendations were followed for the evaluation of diastolic LV function, and the standardized ASE protocol was followed for echocardiography. A standardized formula was used to assess the ventriculo-arterial coupling (VAC) which also included LV end-systolic elastance (Ees) and arterial elastance (Ea) evaluation. We conducted Spearman correlation analysis to identify relationships.Results and discussion. Our cohort were patients with AH, 51 % males; the mean age was 53.6±2.0 years. Mean office blood pressure (BP) was 159.8±4.5 mm Hg for systolic (SBP), 97.9±2.6 mm Hg for diastolic (DBP), 62.0±3.5 mm Hg for pulse blood (PBP) BP, and 76.6±2.2 bits per minute was the mean heart rate (HR). Both the left and right CAVI (R=0.698; p=0.012 and R=0.683; p=0.014) showed a strong correlation with VAC. Both E/A and E/e showed a substantial correlation with ABI (R=0.716; p=0.006 and R=0.764; p=0.002, respectively). cfPWV was linked with nearly the same parameters (R=0.248; p=0.001 for correlation with IMT, R=0.382; p=0.01 for correlation with low-density lipoproteins). Ea was substantially associated with IMT (R=0.491; p=0.24), total cholesterol (R=0.499; p=0.07), and low-density lipoproteins (R=0.687; p=0.001). Ees was substantially correlated with end diastolic volume (R=0.644; p=0.001), blood lymphocytes (R=–0.678; p=0.001), E/A (R=0.159; p=0.007), and E/e’ (R=–0.130; p=0.029).Conclusions. We have found a substantial correlation between validated arterial stiffness measurements and non-invasive LV stiffness evaluation parameters (VAC). VAC also was associated with LV diastolic function parameters

Evaluating left atrial strain and left ventricular diastolic strain rate as markers for diastolic dysfunction in patients with mitral annular calcification

BackgroundMitral annular calcification (MAC) poses many challenges to the evaluation of diastolic function using standard echocardiography. Left atrial (LA) strain and left ventricular early diastolic strain rate (DSr) measured by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) are emerging techniques in the noninvasive evaluation of diastolic function. We aim to evaluate the utility of LA strain and early DSr in predicting elevated left ventricular filling pressures (LVFP) in patients with MAC and compare their effectiveness to ratio of mitral inflow velocity in early and late diastole (E/A).MethodsWe included adult patients with MAC who presented between January 1 and December 31, 2014 and received a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and cardiac catheterization with measurement of LVFP within a 24-h period. We used Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to assess associations of LA reservoir strain and average early DSr with LVFP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were computed to assess the effectiveness of LA strain and DSr in discriminating elevated LVFP as a dichotomized variable and to compare their effectiveness with E/A ratio categorized according to grade of diastolic dysfunction.ResultsFifty-five patients were included. LA reservoir strain demonstrated poor correlation with LVFP (Spearman’s rho = 0.03, p = 0.81) and poor discriminatory ability for detecting elevated LVFP (AUC = 0.54, 95% CI 0.38–0.69). Categorical E/A ratio alone also demonstrated poor discriminatory ability (AUC = 0.53, 95% CI 0.39–0.67), and addition of LA reservoir strain did not significantly improve effectiveness (AUC = 0.58, 95% CI 0.42–0.74, p = 0.56). Average early DSr also demonstrated poor correlation with LVFP (Spearman’s rho = −0.19, p = 0.16) and poor discriminatory ability for detecting elevated LVFP (AUC = 0.59, 95% CI 0.44–0.75). Addition of average early DSr to categorical E/A ratio failed to improve effectiveness (AUC = 0.62, 95% CI 0.46–0.77 vs. AUC = 0.54, 95% CI 0.39–0.69, p = 0.38).ConclusionsIn our sample, LA reservoir strain and DSr do not accurately predict diastolic filling pressure. Further research is required before LA strain and early DSr can be routinely used in clinical practice to assess filling pressure in patients with MAC.

Assessment of right ventricular diastolic function in pediatric patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot by cardiovascular magnetic resonance and echocardiography.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is routinely performed for assessing right ventricular (RV) systolic but not diastolic function. We aimed to investigate CMR-based assessment of RV diastolic function in pediatric patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF), compared to transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) measurements. A total of 130 consecutive pediatric patients with rTOF who underwent clinically indicated CMR and same-day TTE were included. Forty-three controls were recruited. Phase-contrast images were used to measure trans-tricuspid valve flow velocities during early (E) and late diastolic (A) phases (measured in cm/s). Feature tracking of the tricuspid annulus was performed to derive early (e') and late diastolic (a') myocardial velocities (measured in cm/s). RV diastolic function was evaluated by E/A ratio, E/e' ratio, and E-wave deceleration time (measured in milliseconds). Regression analyses were utilized to identify potential variables associated with RV diastolic dysfunction (DD). The performance of CMR-derived parameters in diagnosing RV DD was assessed using receiver-operating characteristic analyses. Good agreement was found between CMR and TTE measurements (ICC 0.70-0.89). Patients with RV DD (n = 67) showed significantly different CMR-derived parameters including E and e' velocities, and E/A and E/e' ratio, compared to patients without DD (n = 63) (all p < 0.05). CMR-derived E and e' velocities and E/e' ratio were independent predictors of RV DD. E/e' of 5.8 demonstrated the highest discrimination of RV DD (AUC 0.76, sensitivity 70%, specificity 86%). CMR-derived parameters showed good agreement with TTE parameters in determining RV DD. CMR-derived E/e' was proved to be the most effective in identifying RV DD. This study demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of CMR in assessing diastolic function in pediatric patients. RV DD was presented in over half of patients according to current TTE guidelines, highlighting the need for assessing RV diastolic function during follow-up. • Routinely acquired cine and phase-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) images yielded right ventricular (RV) diastolic parameters which demonstrated good agreement with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) measurements. • There was a high prevalence of RV diastolic function impairment in pediatric patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). • CMR is a reliable complementary modality of TTE for RV diastolic function evaluation.

Evaluation of Intraoperative Left-Ventricular Diastolic Function by Myocardial Strain in On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic function strongly predicts outcomes after cardiac surgery, but there is no consensus about appropriate intraoperative assessment. Recently, intraoperative diastolic strain-based measurements assessed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) have shown a strong correlation with LV relaxation, compliance, and filling, but there are no reports about evaluation through the entire perioperative period. Therefore, the authors describe the intraoperative course of this novel assessment technique in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, and compare it with conventional echocardiographic measures and common grading algorithms of LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). Prospectively obtained data. A single university hospital. Thirty adult patients scheduled for isolated on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with preoperative preserved left and right ventricular systolic function, without significant heart valve disease and pulmonary hypertension, and an uneventful intraoperative course were included. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed after induction of anesthesia (T1), after termination of cardiopulmonary bypass (T2), and after sternal closure (T3). Echocardiographic evaluation was performed in stable hemodynamic conditions, in sinus rhythm or atrial pacing, and vasopressor support with norepinephrine ≤0.1 µg/kg/min. Strain-based measurements of peak longitudinal strain rate during isovolumetric relaxation (SR-IVR) and during early (SR-E) and late (SR-A) LV filling were assessed using EchoPAC v204 software (GE Vingmed Ultrasound AS, Norway). Evaluation of conventional echocardiographic parameters included transmitral Doppler measures of early (E) and late (A) LV filling, as well as lateral-tissue Doppler velocity assessed during early (e´) and late (a´) LV filling, tricuspid regurgitation, and left atrial dilatation. Evaluation and grading of LV diastolic function by myocardial strain was feasible in all included patients at all time points of assessment. Using conventional grading algorithms, however, a substantial number of patients could not be sufficiently graded, falling into an indeterminate zone and not reliably estimating LVDD (T1, 40%; T2, 33%; T3, 36%). There was significant impairment of LV diastolic function after bypass, as measured by SR-IVR (T1 v T2, 0.28 s-1 [IQR 0.23; 0.31) v 0.18 s-1 [IQR 0.14; 0.22]; p < 0.001), SR-E (T1 v T2, 0.95 ± 0.34 s-1v 1.28 ± 0.36 s-1; p < 0.001), and E/SR-IVR (T1 v T2, 2.3 ± 1.0 m v 4.5 ± 2.1 m; p < 0.001]. Conventional echocardiographic measures remained unchanged during the same period (E/A T1 v T2, 1.27 [IQR 0.94; 1.59] v 1.21 [IQR 1.03; 1.47] [p = 1] and E/e´ T1 v T2, 7.0 [IQR 5.3; 9.6] v 6.35 [IQR 5.7; 9.9] [p = 0.9]). There were no significant changes in the values of SR-IVR, SR-E, SR-A, E/SR-IVR, E/A, and E/e´ before and after sternal closure (T2 v T3). Intraoperative assessment of strain-based measurements of LV diastolic function and strain-based LVDD grading was feasible in this group of selected patients, whereas conventional parameters failed to describe LVDD sufficiently in a substantial number of patients. Diastolic strain-based measurements showed impairment of LV relaxation and compliance after bypass, which was not detected by conventional echocardiographic parameters. Therefore, diastolic myocardial strain analysis might be more sensitive in detecting myocardial diastolic dysfunction by TEE in the perioperative setting, with its dynamic changes of loading conditions, and might provide valuable and additional information on the perioperative changes of LV diastolic function.

Performance of handheld ultrasound devices in diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and right heart dysfunction in ICU patients.

The use of handheld ultrasonography devices (HHUD) has increased recently but there are limited data about their performance in the evaluation of right heart dysfunction (RHD) and pulmonary hypertension (PHT). The aim of the study is to compare the performance of a HHUD with a conventional ultrasound device (CUD) in assessing PHT and RHD. This single-center prospective study was performed in a seven-bed teaching hospital intensive care unit (ICU). PHT and RHD criteria were compared by HHUD and CUD. Additional PHT criteria and right ventricle (RV) systolic and diastolic dysfunction criteria were also measured. Forty-six patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference between the imaging rates and mean values of the parameters measured by both devices. When the positivity rates for additional PHT parameters and RHD criteria were compared, there were no significant differences between the devices. In Bland-Altman's analysis, there was good agreement and there was no bias between the measurements of the two devices but left ventricular end-systolic eccentricity index (LVSEI), right atrium area (RAA), and pulmonary artery diameter (PAD). Ninety percent of the patients had PHT probability, of whom 43% had a low, 37% had intermediate and 10% had a high probability of PHT. Ninety-two percent of the patients had RHD and there was no significant difference between the devices in the diagnosis of RHD (p=.212). When RV systolic and diastolic dysfunction evaluations of the devices were compared according to the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) criteria there was no significant difference between the devices' measurements in the evaluation of systolic and diastolic function. The imaging and measurement capabilities of the HHUDs for PHT and RHD parameters were similar to CUDs, and considering the inconsistent parameters, the HHUD can be useful in diagnosing these problems.

VE/VCO2 slope in cardiopulmonary exercise testing was associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with reduced ejection fraction

Abstract Background Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (EF) was well-known as a poor prognosis. VE/VCO2 slope and peak oxygen uptake (VO2) by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a useful parameter for predicting cardiovascular disease prognosis. Furthermore, though there are some reports that CPET parameters are associated with indicators of diastolic dysfunction, each of these indicators has some limitations. Recently, recommendations for the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function by echocardiography were reported from the ASE/EACVI. However, there are no reports to examine the association between exercise tolerance indices and diastolic dysfunction based on these recommended variables. Purpose To examine the relationship between CPET parameters and diastolic dysfunction using the recommendation from ASE/EACVI in cardiovascular diseases patients with reduced EF Methods We recruited 214 patients who performed both CPET and echocardiography. EF&amp;lt;50% was 115 patients. All patients underwent 0W warm-up and 10W ramp on an upright electrical bicycle ergometer. We defined peak VO2&amp;lt;14 ml/min/kg as low peak VO2, and VE/VCO2&amp;gt;34 as high VE/VCO2 slope. Diastolic dysfunction was assessed using the recommendations for the evaluation of diastolic function by ASE/EACVI. We used this recommendation algorithm to estimate grading LV diastolic function in patients with depressed LVEF. Grading 3 shows the most severe diastolic dysfunction. Results Mean age was 55±15 years old, and the portion of women was 30%. The portion of Grading 3 diastolic dysfunction was 18%. In univariable logistic regression analysis for diastolic dysfunction, Log BNP, and high VE/VCO2 slope were significantly associated with diastolic dysfunction. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, each Model, LogBNP and high VE/VCO2 slope were independent factors for severe diastolic dysfunction [adjusted age and sex, Model 1: LogBNP (OR 2.42, CI 1.44-4.05, p&amp;lt;0.001), low PeakVO2. Model2: LogBNP (OR 2.23, CI 1.31-3.78, p=0.003), high VE/VCO2 slope (OR 3.30, CI 1.06-10.3, p=0.039)]. We performed receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis on the ability of BNP, and VE/VCO2 slope. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for BNP was 0.77, with the discriminating sensitivity and specificity at 0.67 and 0.86, respectively (cut-off value 234 pg/mL). On the other hand, the AUC for the high VE/VCO2 slope was 0.75, with the discriminating sensitivity and specificity at 0.81 and 0.67, respectively (cut-off value 30). Conclusion In patients with depressed EF, high VE/VCO2 slope was significantly associated with diastolic dysfunction assessed by the recommendations from the ASE/EACVI.

Diastolic disfunction in systemic right ventricle: a cardiac magnetic resonance study on atrial function in congenital corrected transposition of great arteries patients

Abstract Background congenital corrected transposition of great arteries (ccTGA) leads to systemic position of the right ventricle (sRV). Patients with ccTGA are usually asymptomatic in the first decades of life but over time sRV will fail to support elevated systemic pressure, possibly leading to systolic heart failure (HF) in adulthood. Several factors have been associated with sRV failure and worse prognosis such as tricuspid valve dysfunction, conduction abnormalities, previous surgery due to associated lesions. However, little is known about diastolic function in sRV. We hypothesize that diastolic dysfunction characterizes sRV pathophysiology, therefore an accurate evaluation of diastolic function would allow a better assessment and risk stratification of patients. The present study aims to investigate the diastolic function in patients with ccTGA by assessing left atrial (LA) morpho-functional parameters. Methods we retrospectively examined Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging of 33 ccTGA patients clinically referred to our Center between April 2014 and December 2022. ccTGA patients were matched based on sex and age with a healthy volunteer population (control group) and a group of patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) diagnosed with HFpEF according to HF guidelines criteria. LA morpho-functional parameters were compared among the three groups: LA volumes (obtained by the length-area method), ejection fraction (EF) and, by means of feature tracking analysis, strain reservoir (εs), conduit (εe) and booster pump (εa). All patients were in sinus rhythm at the time of CMR. Results In comparison with the control group, ccTGA patients had a significant impairment in LA function (LA EF: 41,6 ± 15,1 vs 63,9 ± 7,8, p &amp;lt; 0,001, εs: 19,0 ± 8,3 vs 38,0 ± 10,3, p &amp;lt; 0,001, εe: 11,7 ± 5,9 vs 21,1 ± 8,3 p &amp;lt; 0,001, εa: 7,6 ± 4,1 vs 16,8 ± 6,1, p &amp;lt; 0,001). Conversely, no significant difference was found between ccTGA and HCM group regarding LA function (EF: 41,6 ± 15,1 vs 42,0 ± 10,1, εs: 19,0 ± 8,3 vs 22,6 ± 8,8, εe: 11,7 ± 5,9 vs 12,6 ± 7,0, εa: 7,6 ± 4,1 vs 10 ± 3,7). As for morphological parameters, ccTGA patients had an increase of LA volumes compared to both the control group and HCM patients. Conclusion ccTGA patients present an impaired LA function and a significative increase in LA volume consistent with the presence of diastolic disfunction. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical impact of morpho-functional LA impairment in ccTGA patients.

Abstract 16438: Effect of Enzyme Replacement Therapy on Diastolic Function in Patients With Fabry Disease

Introduction: The effects of ERT (enzyme replacement therapy) on cardiac manifestations in patients with Fabry disease (FD) are ambiguous. We aimed to investigate the response to ERT using diastolic stress echocardiography (DSE). Hypothesis: Diastolic function of FD would be improved after ERT. Methods: 19 patients with FD who underwent ERT were analyzed. All patients had DSE prior to ERT and post ERT at 1 year follow-up. We measured early diastolic (e’) velocity of the mitral annulus at baseline, 25 Watt (W) and peak exercise. The difference of diastolic reserve (ΔDR) between pre and post ERT was calculated. Diastolic reserve is defined as the change of e’ from baseline to 25W or peak of exercise in DSE. Results: Overall diastolic reserve tends to be improved (ΔDR25W: 0.66±1.36, ΔDRpeak 1.47±2.61) after 1 year of the ERT. However, there was no significant change in left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and LV mass index before and after the ERT. When patients were classified into two groups according to ΔDRpeak (Group 1, n=6, ΔDRpeak ≤0; Group 2, n=13, ΔDRpeak &gt;0), group 2 showed more higher pre-ERT MWE (93.6±3.2 vs 84.8±5.0, p&lt;0.01). The pre-ERT longitudinal strain of LV was better in group 2 compared to group 1 (-14.6±2.6 vs -9.9±2.3m p&lt;0.01). LAVI (44.0±12.9 vs 25.5±8.0, p&lt;0.01), LVEDD (50.8±2.8 vs 46.5 ± 3.0, p&lt;0.01) and LV mass index (204.5±57.5 vs 130.4±45.6, p=0.01) of pre ERT were higher in group 1. Conclusions: Diastolic function of FD was improved generally after ERT in FD patients FD patients who have relatively preserved chamber size and mechanical function before starting ERT showed a better response to ERT. In determining the ERT effect, evaluation of diastolic function is more useful than structural evaluation in patients with Fabry cardiomyopathy.

K-t PCA accelerated in-plane balanced steady-state free precession phase-contrast (PC-SSFP) for all-in-one diastolic function evaluation.

Diastolic function evaluation requires estimates of early and late diastolic mitral filling velocities (E and A) and of mitral annulus tissue velocity (e'). We aimed to develop an MRI method for simultaneous all-in-one diastolic function evaluation in a single scan by generating a 2D phase-contrast (PC) sequence with balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) contrast (PC-SSFP). E and A could then be measured with PC, and e' estimated by valve tracking on the magnitude images, using an established deep learning framework. Our PC-SSFP used in-plane flow-encoding, with zeroth and first moment nulling over each TR. For further acceleration, different k-t principal component analysis (PCA) methods were investigated with both retrospective and prospective undersampling. PC-SSFP was compared to separate balanced SSFP cine and PC-gradient echo acquisitions in phantoms and in 10 healthy subjects. Phantom experiments showed that PC-SSFP measured accurate velocities compared to PC-gradient echo (r = 0.98 for a range of pixel-wise velocities -80 cm/s to 80 cm/s). In subjects, PC-SSFP generated high SNR and myocardium-blood contrast, and excellent agreement for E (limits of agreement [LOA] 0.8 ± 2.4 cm/s, r = 0.98), A (LOA 2.5 ± 4.1 cm/s, r = 0.97), and e' (LOA 0.3 ± 2.6 cm/s, r = 1.00), versus the standard methods. The best k-t PCA approach processed the complex difference data and substituted in raw k-space data. With prospective k-t PCA acceleration, higher frame rates were achieved (50 vs. 25 frames per second without k-t PCA), yielding a 13% higher e'. The proposed PC-SSFP method achieved all-in-one diastolic function evaluation.

Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function in patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction via cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) has been suggested to be one of the pathologic mechanisms contributing to heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. We therefore aimed to evaluate LV diastolic function in patients with CMD using cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT). We prospectively enrolled 115 patients referred to cardiology clinics for chest pain assessment who subsequently underwent coronary computed tomography angiogram and stress perfusion CMR. CMD was defined as the presence of subendocardial inducible ischemia detected through visual assessment. LV diastolic function was evaluated using CMR-derived volume-time curves and CMR-FT parameters. The former included early peak filling rate (PFR) and time to PFR; the latter included LV global/regional peak longitudinal diastolic strain rate (LDSR), circumferential diastolic strain rate (CDSR), and radial diastolic strain rate (RDSR). A total of 92 patients with 1,312 segments were eventually included. Of these, 19 patients were classified as non-CMD (48.8±11.2 years; 63.2% male) and 73 as with CMD (52.3±11.9 years; 54.8% male). The LVEFs were similar and preserved in both groups (P=0.266). At the per-patient level, no differences were observed in PFR, time to PFR, or LV global diastolic strain rates between the two groups. At the per-segment level, 51% (665/1,312) of the myocardial segments were classified as CMD, whereas 49% (647/1,312) were classified as non-CMD. CMD segments showed significantly lower regional CDSR (P=0.019) and RDSR (P=0.006) compared with non-CMD segments. Despite normal LV ejection fraction in CMD patients, decreased LV diastolic function in CMD myocardial segments indicates early diastolic impairment.

Evaluation of Intraoperative Left Ventricular Diastolic Function by Myocardial Strain in Onpump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Evaluation of Intraoperative Left Ventricular Diastolic Function by Myocardial Strain in Onpump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Evaluation of right ventricular diastolic function, systolic function, and circulating galectin-3 concentrations in dogs with pulmonary stenosis.

Cardiovascular diseases with increased right ventricular (RV) afterload induce RV diastolic and systolic dysfunction, and myocardial fibrosis in humans. Studies in dogs with pulmonary stenosis (PS) evaluating RV diastolic function and markers of myocardial fibrosis are lacking. Dogs with PS have echocardiographic evidence of RV diastolic and systolic dysfunction and increased serum concentrations of galectin-3 (Gal-3), a surrogate biomarker for myocardial fibrosis. Forty client-owned dogs (10 controls, 30 with PS). Prospective study. All dogs had systemic blood pressure measurement, serum biochemical analysis, echocardiography, and measurement of serum Gal-3 concentration performed. Variables of RV diastolic function were obtained in 39/40 dogs. Trans-tricuspid flow velocity in early diastole to trans-tricuspid flow velocity in late diastole ratios (RV E/A) were lower (P < .001) in dogs with PS (median, 0.94; range, 0.62-2.04) compared to controls (1.78; 1.17-2.35). Trans-tricuspid flow velocity in early diastole to tricuspid annular myocardial velocity in early diastole ratios (RV E/e') were higher (P < .001) in dogs with PS (11.55; 4.69-28) compared to control (6.21; 5.16-7.21). Variables of RV systolic function were lower in dogs with PS (P = <.001). Serum Gal-3 concentration was higher (P = .002) in dogs with PS (285.1 pg/mL; 94.71-406.97) compared to control dogs (162.83 pg/mL; 52.3-232.82). Dogs with PS have RV diastolic and systolic dysfunction, and increased Gal-3 concentrations. These findings suggest the presence of RV myocardial fibrosis in dogs with PS, which could impact clinical management.

Echocardiographic parameters in COVID-19 patients and their association with ICU mortality: a prospective multicenter observational study

BackgroundEchocardiography has become an integral part of the management of critically ill patients. It helps to diagnose and treat various conditions. COVID-19 patients can develop cardiac dysfunction. We planned to study the echocardiographic parameters in COVID-19 patients.MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational multicenter study after institutional ethical committee approval. COVID-19 pneumonia patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were enrolled. The echocardiographic evaluation was done within 24–48 hours of admission. Assessment of the left and right heart with systolic and left ventricular diastolic function evaluation was done. The primary outcome was ICU mortality. The secondary outcomes were the length of ICU stay and duration of mechanical ventilation.ResultsAmong 573 patients mean age was 57.17 (14.67) with 68.60% being males. On day 1 of ICU, invasive mechanical ventilation was used in 257 (45%) patients. One hundred and forty-eight (25.83%) patients were on vasopressors when echocardiography was performed. Severe left ventricle (LV) systolic dysfunction was seen in 8.7% of patients and had higher odds of mortality [2.48(1.058–5.807), p = 0.037] followed by E and e′ with odds ratio of [0.984(0.971–0.998), p = 0.021] and 0.897 (0.805–0.998), p = 0.046], respectively. E/e′ indicative of filling pressure of the LV was not found to be significant. Troponin I, E/A, and RV dilatation were similar among survivors and non-survivors.ConclusionEchocardiographic evaluation in COVID-19 patients showed severe LV systolic dysfunction was associated with ICU mortality. E/e′ was not found to be significant but lower e′ was associated with higher mortality.Trial registration IEC 131/2020, CTRI/2020/06/025858 date 13th June 2020

Evaluation of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function Using a Tissue-Doppler Imaging Based Algorithm According to 2016 Ase/Eacvi Guidelines in Patients with Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract Background Cirrhosis is a late stage of scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. The prevalence of cirrhosis has nearly doubled over the last decade, and the number of hospitalizations has similarly increased. Aim of the Work We aimed to correlate between the severity of liver cirrhosis using new MELD score and left ventricle diastolic dysfunction using tissue doppler imaging. Patients and Methods A prospective observational study in ICU of Theodor Bilharz Research Institute Hospital and Ain Shams University Hospitals for 6 months from June 2021 till end of November 2021 on hepatic patients who were admitted to ICU of Theodor Bilharz Research Institute Hospital and Ain Shams University Hospitals. Results In the studied group, the mean age was 53.13±9.44 years with males constituting more than half of them (57.8%). The mean MELD score was 24.08±6.01, and the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF %) was 60.43±5.49%. There were 5 patients (5.6%) with normal LV diastolic function and 85 patients (94.4%) with abnormal LV diastolic dysfunction. Out of the 90 patients, 5 patients were normal, 44 patients (48.9%) had a grade I LVDD, 28 patients (31.1%) had a grade II LVDD and 13 patients (14.4%) had a grade III LVDD. There was a highly statistically significant positive association between the grades of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction according to ALT, AST, T.Bilirubin, D.Bilirubin, INR and Creatinine. Additionally, there was a highly statistically significant negative association between grading of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction according to platelet count and sodium levels. Conclusion There was a statistically significant correlation found between the severity of liver cirrhosis represented by the new MELD score and the grade of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Therefore, in order to prepare the best post-procedural management of cirrhotic patients, echocardiography is required for all patients before any interventional procedure or liver transplantation regardless of the stage of cirrhosis. The mechanism of cardiac involvement in patients with cirrhosis seems to be complex and multifactorial.

Air pollution is associated with abnormal left ventricular diastolic function: a nationwide population-based study

BackgroundAir pollution is a growing public health concern of global significance. Till date, few studies have explored the associations between air pollutants and cardiac imaging phenotypes. In this study, we aim to explore the association of ambient air pollution and abnormal left ventricular diastolic function (ALVDF) among a large-scale free-living population.MethodsThe participants were from a national representative large-scale cross-sectional study, i.e., the China Hypertension Survey (CHS), 2012–15. After exclusion, 25,983 participants from 14 provinces and 30 districts in China were included for the final analysis. The annual average ambient PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 concentrations were obtained from the chemical data assimilation system (ChemDAS). The clinical evaluation of left ventricular function was conducted in the survey field which was based on echocardiography. Grading diastolic dysfunction was based on Recommendations for the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function by echocardiography (2009).ResultsThe mean age of 25,983 participants was 56.8 years, 46.5% were male, and the crude prevalence of GradeI-III ALVDF were 48.1%, 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively. The ORs (95% CI) for ALVDF in the fully adjusted model were 1.31 (1.11–1.56), 1.11 (1.01–1.21) and 1.18 (0.90–1.54) for an increase of 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5, PM10 and NO2, respectively. And for different grades of ALVDF, elevated concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 exposures significantly increased the risk of gradeIinstead of gradeII ~ III ALVDF. There was a positive linear and “J” shape concentration–response association between annual average ambient PM2.5 and NO2 and the ALVDF risk assessed by the restricted cubic spline. The exposure level of most participants to PM10 was less than 130 μg/m3, and the risk of ALVDF increased significantly with the concentration rise.ConclusionsThis large-scale nationwide population study demonstrated a significantly positive association between ambient PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 with ALVDF, especially for mild ALVDF. The functional abnormality may partially explain the enhanced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with air pollution, which highlights the importance of appropriate interventions to reduce ambient air pollution in China.

Diastology with Cardiac MRI: A Practical Guide.

Diastolic filling of the ventricle is a complex interplay of volume and pressure, contingent on active energy-dependent myocardial relaxation and myocardial stiffness. Abnormal diastolic function is the hallmark of the clinical entity of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which is now the dominant type of heart failure and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although echocardiography is the current first-line imaging modality used in evaluation of diastolic function, cardiac MRI (CMR) is emerging as an important technique. The principal role of CMR is to categorize the cause of diastolic dysfunction (DD) and distinguish other entities that manifest similarly to HFpEF, particularly infiltrative and pericardial disorders. CMR also provides prognostic information and risk stratification based on late gadolinium enhancement and parametric mapping techniques. Advances in hardware, sequences, and postprocessing software now enable CMR to diagnose and grade DD accurately, a role traditionally assigned to echocardiography. Two-dimensional or four-dimensional velocity-encoded phase-contrast sequences can measure flow and velocities at the mitral inflow, mitral annulus, and pulmonary veins to provide diastolic functional metrics analogous to those at echocardiography. The commonly used cine steady-state free-precession sequence can provide clues to DD including left ventricular mass, left ventricular filling curves, and left atrial size and function. MR strain imaging provides information on myocardial mechanics that further aids in diagnosis and prognosis of diastolic function. Research sequences such as MR elastography and MR spectroscopy can help evaluate myocardial stiffness and metabolism, respectively, providing additional insights on diastolic function. The authors review the physiology of diastolic function, mechanics of diastolic heart failure, and CMR techniques in the evaluation of diastolic function. ©RSNA, 2023 Quiz questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

A Pilot Study Evaluating LV Diastolic Function with M-Mode Measurement of Mitral Valve Movement in the Parasternal Long Axis View.

This pilot study aimed to develop a new, reliable, and easy-to-use method for the evaluation of diastolic function through the M-mode measurement of mitral valve (MV) movement in the parasternal long axis (PSLA), similar to E-point septal separation (EPSS) used for systolic function estimation. Thirty healthy volunteers from a tertiary emergency department (ED) underwent M-mode measurements of the MV anterior leaflet in the PSLA view. EPSS, A-point septal separation (APSS), A-point opening length (APOL), and E-point opening length (EPOL) were measured in the PSLA view, along with the E and A velocities and e' velocity in the apical four-chamber view. Correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationship between M-mode and Doppler measurements, and the measurement time was evaluated. No significant correlations were found between M-mode and Doppler measurements in the study. However, M-mode measurements exhibited high reproducibility and faster acquisition, and the EPOL value consistently exceeded the APOL value, resembling the E and A pattern. These findings suggest that visually assessing the M-mode pattern on the MV anterior leaflet in the PSLA view may be a practical approach to estimating diastolic function in the ED. Further investigations with a larger and more diverse patient population are needed to validate these findings.

Imaging for implementation of heart failure guidelines.

The classification of heart failure with implications for pharmacological therapeutic interventions rests on defining ejection fraction (EF) which is an imaging parameter. Imaging can provide diagnostic clues as to aetiology of heart failure; it can also guide and help assess response to treatment. Echocardiography, CMR, cardiac computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and Tc 99 m pyrophosphate scanning provide information about the aetiology of heart failure. Further, echocardiography plays the primary role in the evaluation of LV diastolic function and the estimation of left ventricular (LV) filling pressures both at rest and with exercise during diastolic stress testing. Heart failure guidelines recognize four stages (A, B, C, and D) for heart failure. Cardiac imaging along with risk factors and clinical status is needed for identifying these stages. There are joint societal echocardiographic guidelines by American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging that are applicable to the imaging of heart failure patients. There are also separate guidelines for the evaluation of patients being considered for LV assist device implantation and for multimodality imaging of patients with heart failure and preserved EF. Cardiac catheterization is needed in patients whose haemodynamic status is uncertain after clinical and echocardiographic evaluation and to evaluate for coronary artery disease. Myocardial biopsy can identify the presence of myocarditis or specific infiltrative diseases when the findings by non-invasive imaging are not conclusive.