Left ventricular longitudinal myocardial function in overt hypothyroidism: a tissue Doppler echocardiographic study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess left ventricular (LV) myocardial regional function in overt hypothyroidism by use of tissue Doppler imaging and to compare the results to the hormonal profile and standard Doppler echocardiographic examination.


METHODS
Hypothyroidic (Group 1, n = 25) and euthyroidic patients (Group 2, n = 25) underwent transthorasic echocardiography, strain and strain rate imaging.


RESULTS
Standard echocardiography showed that patients with overt hypothyroidism had significantly longer isovolumic contraction time (IVCT) (P < 0.05), deceleration time (DT) (P = 0.014) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) (P = 0.022). Tissue Doppler imaging showed that the mean peak systolic strain (SI) (16.47 + or - 1.45 vs. 20.63 + or - 1.51, P < 0.001), the mean peak systolic strain rate (SSR) (1.05 + or - 0.13 vs. 1.47 + or - 0.11, P < 0.001), the mean peak early diastolic strain rate (ESr) (1.72 + or - 0.38 vs. 2.03 + or - 0.25, P < 0.05) and the mean peak late diastolic strain rate (ASr) (1.22 + or - 0.31 vs. 1.46 + or - 0.32, P < 0.05) were significantly lower in Group 1 compared to Group 2. For all patients, the systolic strain and systolic strain rate parameters negatively correlated with thyroid stimulating hormone levels and positively correlated with the levels of free triiodothyronine (fT(3)) and free tetraiodothyronine (fT(4)).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that overt hypothyroidism is associated with early impairment in LV longitudinal myocardial function, and that tissue Doppler echocardiography is useful for the grading of disease and detection of early impairment. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY 2010;27:505-511).
Tiryakioglu
Selma Kenar
SK
Department of Cardiology, Bursa Acibadem Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. selmatiryaki@msn.com
Tiryakioglu
Osman
O
Ari
Hasan
H
Basel
Mehmet Cem
MC
Ozkan
Hakan
H
Bozat
Tahsin
T
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left