Measurement Of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Research Articles

Guidelines for the monitoring and management of iron overload in patients with haemoglobinopathies and rare anaemias.

Guidelines for the monitoring and management of iron overload in patients with haemoglobinopathies and rare anaemias.

Outcomes of Spironolactone Withdrawal in Dilated Cardiomyopathy With Improved Ejection Fraction.

Background: The feasibility of spironolactone withdrawal in dilated cardiomyopathy patients with improved ejection fraction remains unknown. This study sought to determine whether spironolactone can be withdrawn safely in this circumstance.Methods: Consecutive patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and prescribed spironolactone at discharge were included in this prospective, observational cohort using the Risk Evaluation and Management in Heart Failure Trial (NCT02998788) database. Those patients who experienced an absolute left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement ≥10% and a second measurement of LVEF >40% would choose whether to continue spironolactone therapy and be included in final analysis. The primary endpoint was dilated cardiomyopathy relapse within 12 months, defined as a more than 10% reduction in LVEF, a 15% or greater increase in LVESVi, a 2-fold rise in NT-proBNP, or clinical signs of heart failure.Results: Seventy patients achieved an ejection fraction improvement and were included in the final analysis, of whom 30 chose to continue spironolactone and 40 decided to withdraw. In primary endpoint analysis, 23 (58%) patients from the withdrawal group and 4 (13%) patients from the continuation group relapsed (relative risk for relapse: 4.31; 95% CI: 1.67–11.11; p < 0.001). Patients from the withdrawal group experienced more symptom aggravation than the continuation group. No secondary safety endpoint was recorded. Improvements in cardiac structure parameters were no longer observed after spironolactone withdrawal, while improvements persisted in continuation group.Conclusions: Most dilated cardiomyopathy patients with improved ejection fraction will relapse after spironolactone withdrawal. These results should be weighed before spironolactone withdrawal was attempted.

Abstract P335: Nanoparticle-mediated Delivery Of TT-10 Promotes Myocardial Repair

The pharmaceutical product TT-10 increases cardiomyocyte proliferation and survival by upregulating nuclear levels of Yes-associated protein (Yap) and the expression of Yap-targeted genes. When evaluated in a mouse model of myocardial infarction (MI), intraperitoneal TT-10 administration was associated with improvements in infarct size and cardiac function one week after treatment, but functional parameters progressively declined at later time points [1]. Here, we tested our hypothesis that the potency of TT-10 for myocardial repair could be increased by loading it into poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles (NPs) before intramyocardial administration. Mice were treated with injections of DPBS (n=9), empty nanoparticles (Empty-NPs, n=8), TT-10 solution (TT-10-sol, n=8), or TT-10-loaded NPs (TT-10-NPs, n=9) immediately after MI was induced via permanent ligation of the coronary artery. Cardiac function was assessed via transthoracic echocardiography, infarct size via histological Fast-Green staining, cardiac hypertrophy via measures of the heart-weight:bodyweight (HW:BW) ratio, cardiomyocyte proliferation via staining for Ki67 and phosphorylated histone 3 (PH3), and apoptosis via TUNEL. In vitro assessments confirmed that TT-10 was released from the TT-10-NPs for up to four weeks, and that the NPs were taken up by cultured cardiomyocytes. One and four weeks after MI induction and treatment, measures of left-ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) were significantly greater in TT-10-NP animals than in the TT-10-sol, Empty-NP, or DPBS groups; LV EF and FS also remained stable in the TT-10-NP group, while measurements in all other groups worsened (but not significantly) (LV EF at Week 4: TT-10-sol vs TT-10-NPs; 22.25 ± 1.474 vs 43.95 ± 1.884, p&lt;0.05), between the two time points. TT-10-NP treatment was also associated with significantly smaller (by ~20%, p&lt;0.05) infarcts and significantly lower HW:BW ratios at Week 4; with significantly greater proportions of Ki67 + , PH3 + , and nuclear-Yap + cardiomyocytes at Week 1; and with significant declines in TUNEL + cardiomyocytes 72 hours after MI and treatment. Thus, NP-mediated delivery of TT-10 results in the efficacy of both the magnitude and durability of the benefits associated with promotion of myocyte proliferation in a mouse MI model. [1] H. Hara, N. Takeda, M. Kondo, M. Kubota, T. Saito, J. Maruyama, et al., Discovery of a Small Molecule to Increase Cardiomyocytes and Protect the Heart After Ischemic Injury, JACC Basic Transl Sci, 3 (2018) 639-653.

Adjustment Mechanisms in the Acute Phase of Myocardial Infarction in Men.

Stress and Coping Model and Post-Traumatic Growth Theory indicate adjustment procedures concepts after a crisis. The objective of this study was to assess the relationships between causal attributions, coping strategies and post-traumatic growth in male patients with acute myocardial infarction and variable cardiac function severity. Seventy-eight male patients surviving a myocardial infarction, were divided into two sub-groups based on left ventricular ejection fraction measurements [Group A (left ventricular ejection fraction: <45%, n = 34), Group B (left ventricular ejection fraction: ≥45%, n = 44)] and were interviewed after the acute phase of myocardial infarction, on the last day of their coronary unit stay. Medical data was obtained from their medical records. Causal Attributions' List, Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced and Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory were used. Causal attributions were found to be related to active coping, emotional support, religious coping and self-blame in both groups. Planning, positive reinterpretation and active coping were the strategies associated positively with most of the post-traumatic inventory subscales in total data analyses. Diverse coping strategies were associated with posttraumatic growth factors. It is important to assess adjustment mechanisms in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. A tailored scheme therapy, considering patient's needs, has to be planned.

Relationship of ejection fraction and natriuretic peptide trajectories in heart failure with baseline reduced and mid-range ejection fraction

BackgroundThe prognostic importance of trajectories of neurohormones relative to left ventricular function over time in heart failure with reduced and mid-range EF (HFrEF and HFmrEF) is poorly defined. ObjectiveTo evaluate left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) trajectories in HFrEF and HFmrEF. MethodsAnalyses of LVEF and BNP trajectories after incident HF admissions presenting with abnormal LV systolic function were performed using 3 methods: a Cox proportional hazards model with time-varying covariates, a dual longitudinal-survival model with shared random effects, and an unsupervised analysis to capture 3 discrete trajectories for each parameter. ResultsAmong 1,158 patients (68.9 ± 13.0 years, 53.3% female), both time-varying LVEF measurements (P=.001) and log-transformed BNP measurements (p-values=2 × 10−16) were independently associated with survival during 6 years after covariate adjustment. In the dual longitudinal/survival model, both LVEF and BNP trajectories again were independently associated with survival (P<.0001 in each model); however, LVEF was more dynamic than BNP (P <.0001 for time covariate in LVEF longitudinal model versus P=.88 for the time covariate in BNP longitudinal model). In the unsupervised analysis, 3 discrete LVEF trajectories (dividing the cohort into approximately thirds) and 3 discrete BNP trajectories were identified. Discrete LVEF and BNP trajectories had independent prognostic value in Kaplan-Meier analyses (P<.0001), and substantial membership variability across BNP and LVEF trajectories was noted. ConclusionAlthough LVEF trajectories have greater temporal variation, BNP trajectories provide additive prognostication and an even stronger association with survival times in heart failure patients with abnormal LV systolic function.

Effects of cardiac medications on ventricular function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy–related cardiomyopathy

The DMD Care Considerations Working Group Guidelines 2010 recommended treating cardiac dystrophinopathy with angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor (ACEi) and beta-blocker (BB) therapy to prevent the progressive decline in left ventricular function expected from earlier, natural history studies. The aim of this research was to audit change in measures of left ventricular function over 8 years to 4 years before and 4 years after deploying an ACEi/BB combination systematically at a dedicated "cardiology-muscle" clinic. This is an institutionally registered, retrospective, case-file-based audit of serial echocardiographic measures of left ventricular fractional shortening accumulated over the period 1995 to 2015. Data from 104 genetically confirmed Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, aged 22.2 ± 5.3 years at data censure, were included. Mean age at first detection of left ventricular dysfunction was 15.1± 4.2 years, but older in those on maintenance steroid therapy (16.8± 4.2 vs 14.5± 4.1 years; P= .04). Group mean fractional shortening fell by 1.5%/year over the 4 years before therapy, but this decreased to 0.9%/year over the first 4 years after starting therapy. Analysis of limited left ventricular ejection fraction measures showed similar but nonsignificant changes. Neither age at detection of left ventricular dysfunction nor fractional shortening percent at time of therapy initiation affected the beneficial response. The results support the international DMD recommendations of the time. This combination of cardiac medications helps stabilize heart function. For the best long-term effects, therapy needs to be initiated no later than on first detection left ventricular impairment.

Effect of aggressive diuresis in acute heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction.

AimsHeart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) had distinct haemodynamic characteristics in the setting of acute heart failure. The aim of our study is to evaluate the differential response to aggressive diuresis in HFrEF and HFpEF.Methods and resultsPatients in the Diuretic Optimization Strategies Evaluation trial with left ventricular ejection fraction measurement were included (n = 300) and classified into HFrEF [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40%] (n = 193) and HFpEF (LVEF ≥ 40%) (n = 107). Effect of high‐dose vs. low‐dose furosemide strategy was compared separately in HFrEF and HFpEF. In HFrEF, high‐dose strategy did not increase change in creatinine or cystatin C at 72 h [treatment difference: −0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.14 to 0.03 mg/dL; P = 0.23 for creatinine, and treatment difference: −0.06, 95% CI: −0.15 to 0.02 mg/dL; P = 0.15 for cystatin C] compared with low‐dose strategy, but there were significantly more net fluid loss, weight loss, and congestion‐free patients at 72 h in high‐dose group. It was also associated with a significantly lower risk of composite clinical outcome of death, total hospitalizations, and unscheduled visits due to heart failure. In HFpEF, high‐dose strategy significantly increased change in creatinine and cystatin C at 72 h (treatment difference: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.02–0.30 mg/dL; P = 0.03 for creatinine, and treatment difference: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.09–0.43 mg/dL; P = 0.003 for cystatin C), but did not significantly affect net fluid loss, weight loss, proportion of congestion‐free patients at 72 h, and risk of the composite clinical outcome.ConclusionsAcute heart failure on the basis of HFrEF and HFpEF responded differently to aggressive diuresis. Future trials should be designed separately for HFrEF and HFpEF.

The effects of interventional mitral valve repair using the MitraClip System on the results of pulmonary function testing, pulmonary pressure and diffusing capacity of the lung

BackgroundThe study analyzes changes in lung function, pulmonary pressure and diffusing capacity of the lung in patients with mitral valve regurgitation (MR) treated by MitraClip implantation.MethodsA total of 43 patients (19 women and 24 men with an average age of 78.0 ± 6.6 years) who were able to perform pulmonary function testing including diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO), vital capacity (VC), total lung capacity (TLC), residual volume (RV) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) before and 6 weeks after MitraClip implantation participated in this study. Furthermore, clinical and echocardiographic parameters including systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left atrial diameter (LAD) measurements were recorded in all patients.ResultsThe procedure was performed successfully in all 43 patients leading to a reduction of MR in 97.7% of cases. One patient died on day 4 after the intervention most likely due to pulmonary artery embolism. Six weeks after the implantation 79.1% of patients showed a MR of at most mild to moderate. Furthermore, we could demonstrate a significant reduction of systolic pulmonary artery pressure during follow-up (from 48.8 ± 11.4 mmHg to 42.9 ± 9.0 mmHg (t(41) = − 2.6, p = 0.01). However, no changes in LVEF were detected. Comparing pre and post implant lung function tests, no significant alterations were seen for VC, TLC, DLCO and FEV1. Though, in a subgroup of patients with moderate to severe preexisting deterioration of DLCO at the baseline (max. 50%) the MitraClip procedure resulted in a significant improvement in DLCO (37.8% ± 9.0 to 41.6% ± 10.0, p < 0.001).ConclusionsTreatment of MR with the MitraClip system successfully reduces MR severity in the vast majority of patients. Consecutively, a reduction in pulmonary pressure could be observed, however no changes in LVEF were obvious. Lung function tests remained unaltered during follow-up. However, in a subgroup of patients with severe preexisting deterioration of DLCO the MitraClip procedure resulted in a significant improvement in DLCO.Trial registrationName of the registry: Die Auswirkung der interventionellen Mitralklappenreparatur mit MitraClip-System auf die Ergebnisse der Lungenfunktionsmessung.Trial registration numberDRKS00022435; Date of registration: 09/07/2020 'Retrospectively registered'; URL of trial registry record: https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00022435.

Cautious optimism for machine learning techniques for prediction of heart failure outcomes

Cautious optimism for machine learning techniques for prediction of heart failure outcomes

Long-term cardiac reverse remodeling after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

IntroductionThe benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in heart failure (HF) patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) have been observed in the first year. However, there are few data on long‐term follow‐up and the effect of changes of LVEF on mortality. This study aimed to assess the LV remodeling after CRT implantation and the probable effect of changes in LVEF with repeated measures on mortality over time in a real‐world registry.MethodsAmong our cohort of 328 consecutive CRT patients, mixed model effect analysis have been made to describe the temporal evolution of LVEF and LVESV changes over time up with several explanatory variables. Besides, the effect of LVEF along time on the probability of mortality was evaluated using joint modeling for longitudinal and survival data.ResultsThe study population included 328 patients (253 men; 70.2 ± 9.5 years) in 4.2 (2.9) years follow‐up. There was an increase in LVEF of 11% and a reduction in LVESV of 42 mL during the first year. These changes are more important during the first year, but slight changes remain during the follow‐up. The largest reduction in LVESV occurred in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and the smallest reduction in patients with NYHA IV. The smallest increase in LVEF was an ischemic etiology, longer QRS, and LV electrode in a nonlateral vein. Besides, the results showed that the LVEF profiles taken during follow‐up after CRT were associated with changes in the risk of death.ConclusionReverse remodeling of the left ventricle is observed especially during the first year, but it seems to be maintained later after CRT implantation in a contemporary cohort of patients. Longitudinal measurements could give us additional information at predicting the individual mortality risk after adjusting by age and sex compared to a single LVEF measurement after CRT.

Universal Definition and Classification of Heart Failure: A Report of the Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, Japanese Heart Failure Society and Writing Committee of the Universal Definition of Heart Failure

In this document, we propose a universal definition of heart failure (HF) as the following: HF is a clinical syndrome with symptoms and or signs caused by a structural and/or functional cardiac abnormality and corroborated by elevated natriuretic peptide levels and or objective evidence of pulmonary or systemic congestion. We propose revised stages of HF as: At-risk for HF (Stage A) , for patients at risk for HF but without current or prior symptoms or signs of HF and without structural or biomarkers evidence of heart disease. Pre-heart failure (Stage B) for patients without current or prior symptoms or signs of HF but evidence of structural heart disease or abnormal cardiac function, or elevated natriuretic peptide levels. HF (Stage C) for patients with current or prior symptoms and/or signs of HF caused by a structural and/or functional cardiac abnormality. Advanced HF (Stage D) for patients with severe symptoms and/ or signs of HF at rest, recurrent hospitalizations despite guideline-directed management and therapy (GDMT) , refractory or intolerant to GDMT, requiring advanced therapies such as consideration for transplant, mechanical circulatory support, or palliative care. Finally, we propose a new and revised classification of HF according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) . The classification includes HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) : HF with LVEF ≤ 40%; HF with mid-range EF (HFmrEF) : HF with LVEF 41-49%; HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) : HF with LVEF ≥ 50%; and HF with improved EF (HFimpEF) : HF with a baseline LVEF ≤ 40%, a ≥ 10 point increase from baseline LVEF, and a second measurement of LVEF > 40.

Universal definition and classification of heart failure: a report of the Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, Japanese Heart Failure Society and Writing Committee of the Universal Definition of Heart Failure: Endorsed by the Canadian Heart Failure Society, Heart Failure Association of India, Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, and Chinese

In this document, we propose a universal definition of heart failure (HF) as a clinical syndrome with symptoms and/or signs caused by a structural and/or functional cardiac abnormality and corroborated by elevated natriuretic peptide levels and/or objective evidence of pulmonary or systemic congestion. We also propose revised stages of HF as: At risk for HF (Stage A), Pre-HF (Stage B), Symptomatic HF (Stage C) and Advanced HF (Stage D). Finally, we propose a new and revised classification of HF according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This includes HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF): symptomatic HF with LVEF ≤40%; HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF): symptomatic HF with LVEF 41-49%; HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF): symptomatic HF with LVEF ≥50%; and HF with improved ejection fraction (HFimpEF): symptomatic HF with a baseline LVEF ≤40%, a ≥10 point increase from baseline LVEF, and a second measurement of LVEF > 40%.

Feasibility and reference intervals assessed by conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography in normal hamsters.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine feasibility, reference intervals, and reproducibility of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and speckle‐tracking echocardiography (STE) in adult Syrian hamsters.BackgroundSyrian hamster is an experimental model for several heart diseases. Echocardiography allows the evaluation of structure and function with bidimensional conventional techniques and STE. However, there is no data regarding reference values for bidimensional LVEF and myocardial strain in hamsters.MethodsA total of 135 female Syrian hamsters were anesthetized and studied with a small animal dedicated echocardiography system. Echocardiography measurements were obtained from M‐mode and B‐mode images. Feasibility and 95% reference intervals were obtained for LVEF using three different approaches: LVEF_Teichholz (from M‐mode linear measurements), LVEF_BMode (from area‐length method), and LVEF_ STE (from strain), and for global longitudinal (GLS), circumferential (GCS), and radial (GRS) endocardial strain. Reproducibility was assessed as intra‐class correlation coefficients.ResultsFeasibility of LVEF and endocardial strain was high (95% in FEVE_Teichholz, 93% in the LVEF_BMode, 84% in the LVEF_STE, 84% from PSLAX, and 80% from PSSAX). Values of LVEF_Teichholz were significantly higher than values of LVEF_BMode, and LVEF_STE‐derived methods (59.0 ± 5.8, 53.8 ± 4.7, 46.3 ± 5.7, p < 0.0001). The 95% reference intervals for GLS, GCS, and GRS were respectively −13.6(−7.5;‐20.4)%, −20.5 ± 3.1%, and + 34,7 ± 7.0%. Intra‐class correlation coefficients were 0.49 – 0.91 for LVEF measurements, 0.73 – 0.92 for STE, with better results for LVEF_Teichholz and GLS.ConclusionsEvaluation of LVEF by several methods and STE parameters is feasible in hamsters. Reference intervals for LVEF and STE obtained for this experimental animal model can be applied at future research.

Low-dose PET image noise reduction using deep learning: application to cardiac viability FDG imaging in patients with ischemic heart disease

Introduction. Cardiac [18F]FDG-PET is widely used for viability testing in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease. Guidelines recommend injection of 200–350 MBq [18F]FDG, however, a reduction of radiation exposure has become increasingly important, but might come at the cost of reduced diagnostic accuracy due to the increased noise in the images. We aimed to explore the use of a common deep learning (DL) network for noise reduction in low-dose PET images, and to validate its accuracy using the clinical quantitative metrics used to determine cardiac viability in patients with ischemic heart disease. Methods. We included 168 patients imaged with cardiac [18F]FDG-PET/CT. We simulated a reduced dose by keeping counts at thresholds 1% and 10%. 3D U-net with five blocks was trained to de-noise full PET volumes (128 × 128 × 111). The low-dose and de-noised images were compared in Corridor4DM to the full-dose PET images. We used the default segmentation of the left ventricle to extract the quantitative metrics end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from the gated images, and FDG defect extent from the static images. Results. Our de-noising models were able to recover the PET signal for both the static and gated images in either dose-reduction. For the 1% low-dose images, the error is most pronounced for EDV and ESV, where the average underestimation is 25%. No bias was observed using the proposed DL de-noising method. De-noising minimized the outliers found for the 1% and 10% low-dose measurements of LVEF and extent. Accuracy of differential diagnosis based on LVEF threshold was highly improved after de-noising. Conclusion. A significant dose reduction can be achieved for cardiac [18F]FDG images used for viability testing in patients with ischemic heart disease without significant loss of diagnostic accuracy when using our DL model for noise reduction. Both 1% and 10% dose reductions are possible with clinically quantitative metrics comparable to that obtained with a full dose.

Validation of estimating left ventricular ejection fraction by mitral annular displacement derived from speckle-tracking echocardiography: A neglected method for evaluating left ventricular systolic function.

The echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) is dependent on professional experience and adequate visualization. Tissue motion of mitral annular displacement (TMAD) can be easily assessed using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE), even in patients with poor acoustic windows. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can be estimated using STE-derived TMAD when LVEF is not available. Four-hundred fifty-six outpatients were enrolled after excluding the patients whose LVEF measurements remained challenging or TMAD value could be confounded. An optimized regression model for LVEF-TMAD was developed in the derivation set (n=287), and its reliability was verified in the validation set (n=123) and regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) set (n=46). In the derivation set, the power models had the highest F-value. Therefore, the power equations were chosen to estimate LVEF by TMAD in the validation set. There was a near-zero bias and a narrow range between the observed and estimated LVEF. The highest intra-class correlation coefficient was found between the observed and the estimated LVEF by normalized TMAD at the midpoint of mitral annular (nTMADmid). Moreover, there were no significant differences between the observed and the estimated LVEF in the RWMA set. The LVEF can be estimated with STE-derived TMAD, even for patients with RWMA, and nTMADmid may be the optimal parameter.

Does automated left ventricular ejection fraction assessment available on handheld ultrasound devices represent improvement in the diagnostic accuracy?

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Purpose To assess the accuracy of an algorithm for automated measurement of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) available on handheld ultrasound device (HUD). Methods 112 patients admitted to the cardiology department, who were referred for the conventional echocardiographic examination, underwent additional assessment performed with HUD (Vscan Extend, GE Vingmed Ultrasound, Horten, Norway). In each case 4 – chamber apical view was obtained and LVEF was calculated by means of the LVivo software. Imaging quality was assessed in a 4-grade scale. Subsequently, during the examination performed with the use of the stationary echocardiograph the three-dimensional (3D) measurement of LVEF was recorded. Results Ultimately 96 (53 men, mean age 63 ± 11) patients were enrolled into the study group In the remaining 16 cases (14%) 3D image quality was not sufficient to allow the calculation of the LVEF. LVivo software was unsuccessful in calculating LVEF in all these 16 patients and in additional 20 patients, who remained in the study group due to satisfactory 3D image quality. The quality of images acquired with the use of HUD was assessed as optimal in 25 (26%) patients, good in 37 (39%), acceptable in 24 (25%), poor in 10 (10%). The average LVEF value was 46%±14 with the 3D LVQ measurements and 48%±14 using the LVivo software. The correlation coefficient between the LVEF values obtained with the two methods was r = 0,92; (P &amp;lt; 0,0001). Using paired samples t-test we found that the difference between these two techniques was not significant (mean difference 4,5± 3,4%; P = 0,35). LVivo software EF assessment is based on a single apical view and for this reason we have assumed that the differences in EF can be larger in patients with regional wall motion abnormalities, in whom LVEF values derived from different apical views can significantly vary. For this reason the group of patients with history of myocardial infarction (40pts, 42%) was analysed separately and we found that the difference between LVivo and 3D LVEF was also not statistically significant (mean difference 6,1± 3,3%; P= 0,14). The correlation coefficient equalled r = 0,78; (P &amp;lt; 0,0001). Conclusion The LVivo software despite its limitations is capable of the accurate LVEF measurement when the acquired views are of at least good imaging quality. Such expanded capabilities of HUDs can potentially lead to the overall improvements of the diagnostic accuracy of the ultrasonographic examinations, particularly when in hands of the non-expert echocardiographers.

Left and right ventricular dysfunction in patients with COVID-19-associated myocardial injury

PurposeSARS-COV-2 infection can develop into a multi-organ disease. Although pathophysiological mechanisms of COVID-19-associated myocardial injury have been studied throughout the pandemic course in 2019, its morphological characterisation is still unclear. With this study, we aimed to characterise echocardiographic patterns of ventricular function in patients with COVID-19-associated myocardial injury.MethodsWe prospectively assessed 32 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 and presence or absence of elevated high sensitive troponin T (hsTNT+ vs. hsTNT-) by comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) and strain echocardiography.ResultsA minority (34.3%) of patients had normal ventricular function, whereas 65.7% had left and/or right ventricular dysfunction defined by impaired left and/or right ventricular ejection fraction and strain measurements. Concomitant biventricular dysfunction was common in hsTNT+ patients. We observed impaired left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) in patients with myocardial injury (-13.9% vs. -17.7% for hsTNT+ vs. hsTNT-, p = 0.005) but preserved LV ejection fraction (52% vs. 59%, p = 0.074). Further, in these patients, right ventricular (RV) systolic function was impaired with lower RV ejection fraction (40% vs. 49%, p = 0.001) and reduced RV free wall strain (-18.5% vs. -28.3%, p = 0.003). Myocardial dysfunction partially recovered in hsTNT + patients after 52 days of follow-up. In particular, LV-GLS and RV-FWS significantly improved from baseline to follow-up (LV-GLS: -13.9% to -16.5%, p = 0.013; RV-FWS: -18.5% to -22.3%, p = 0.037).ConclusionIn patients with COVID-19-associated myocardial injury, comprehensive 3D and strain echocardiography revealed LV dysfunction by GLS and RV dysfunction, which partially resolved at 2-month follow-up.Trial registrationCOVID-19 Registry of the LMU University Hospital Munich (CORKUM), WHO trial ID DRKS00021225.

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Measurement of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Using a Handheld Ultrasound Device

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of an algorithm for automated measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) available on handheld ultrasound devices (HUDs). One hundred twelve patients admitted to the cardiology department underwent assessment performed with an HUD. In each case, the four-chamber apical view was obtained, and LVEF was calculated with LVivo software. Subsequently, during the examination performed with the use of the stationary echocardiograph, the 3-D measurement of LVEF was recorded. The average LVEFs measured with LVivo and the 3-D reference method were 46 ± 14% and 48 ± 14%, respectively. The correlation between the measurements obtained with the HUD and 3-D evaluation was high (r = 0.92, 95% confidence interval: 0.87–0.95, p < 0.0001). The mean difference between the LVEF obtained with LVivo and the 3-D LVEF was not significant (mean difference: –0.61%, 95% confidence interval: –1.89 to 0.68, p = 0.31). The LVivo software despite its limitations is capable of the accurate LVEF measurement when the acquired views are of at least good imaging quality.

Revisiting Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Levels: A Circadian Heart Rate Variability-Based Approach

Analysis of heart failure is important in clinical practice to ensure coronary artery disease (CAD) patients will be provided with appropriate timely treatment. The current gold-standard, echocardiography, although reliable, provides a once-off left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measurement and does not provide information about heart function disturbances during day/night cardiac cycles. Additionally, the discrimination between heart failure with preserved and mid-range ejection fraction remains challenging in echocardiography tests. In this vein, this study was sought to investigate the ability of heart rate variability (HRV) in categorizing CAD patients into multiple LVEF groups throughout the 24-hour circadian cycle and checking its agreement with established gold-standard echocardiography-based guidelines. A total of 92 CAD patients who have suffered from heart failure were included in this study. The newly introduced index, HRV ejection fraction (HRVEF), was based on optimizing indices extracted from HRV data, which are correlated with the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, to form group membership of the preserved (HFpEF), mid-range (HFmEF), and reduced (HFrEF) LVEF categories. HRVEF groups optimized on hourly basis through Jenks natural breaks algorithm exhibited a consistent pattern with a goodness of variance fit (GVF) of more than 70% accuracy during the late-night to early-morning (01:00-08:00) and evening (17:00-23:00) time periods. At these hours, several HRV indices were found significant (p-value ≤0.05) in differentiating between HRVEF groups using statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. These features include the successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD), low and high frequency (LF, HF) power, standard deviation of normal heartbeats (SD2), short-term scaling exponent (alpha1), and percentage of normal heartbeats in alternation segments (PAS). The findings of this study suggest HRV as a promising supplementary tool to the once-off echocardiography for timely LVEF measurements and heart failure prognosis. It paves the way towards multi-time HRV-based estimations for LVEF according to the association between LVEF and HRV indices to better demonstrate the circadian cardiac function at different LVEF levels in CAD patients.

Vascular Dysfunction Predicts Future Deterioration of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Patients with Heart Failure With Mid-Range Ejection Fraction

Background: Deterioration of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) increases mortality and/or HF hospitalization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether HFmrEF is associated with vascular dysfunction and whether vascular function predicts future deterioration of LVEF in patients with HFmrEF. Methods: This study was a single-center, retrospective longitudinal cohort study. We evaluated endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and vascular smooth muscle function assessed by nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation (NID) in 69 patients with HFmrEF and 426 patients without HF and evaluated the initial deterioration of LVEF defined as LVEF measurement of at least 40% in 39 patients with HFmrEF for up to 3 years. Findings: Both FMD and NID were significantly lower in patients with HFmrEF than in patients without HF. We categorized patients into two groups based on low tertiles of NID: a low group (NID of <7.0%) and an intermediated and high group (NID of ≥7.0%). There were significant differences between the Kaplan-Meier curves for the deterioration of LVEF in the two groups (P <0.01). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that NID of <7.0% was an independent predictor of future deterioration of LVEF in patients with HFmrEF. Interpretation: Both endothelial function and vascular smooth muscle function are impaired in patients with HFmrEF compared with those in patients without HF and that low NID of <7.0% predicts future deterioration of LVEF. Trial Registration Details: URL for Clinical Trial: http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm Registration Number for Clinical Trial: UMI03409. Funding Information: This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (18590815 and 21590898 to Higashi). Declaration of Interests: The authors declared that they do not have anything to disclose regarding conflict of interest with respect to this manuscript. Ethics Approval Statement: The Ethics Review Board of Hiroshima University approved the study protocol. Written informed consent for participation in the study was obtained from all of the subjects.