Prognostic implications of left ventricular regional function heterogeneity assessed with two-dimensional speckle tracking in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and depressed left ventricular ejection fraction.
The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prognostic implications of myocardial tissue heterogeneity assessed with two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients three months after first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35 %. For this purpose, a total of 79 patients with first STEMI and LVEF ≤35 % at three months postinfarction were evaluated. Based on left ventricular (LV) speckle-tracking longitudinal strain echocardiography, the infarct core, border zone, and remote zone at baseline and three months' follow-up were defined. Patients were followed for the occurrence of the composite end point of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy and/or cardiac mortality. During a median follow-up of 46 months, 13 patients (17 %) reached the composite end point. At baseline, patients with and without events showed comparable values of LV longitudinal strain at the infarct, border, and remote zones. However, at three months' follow-up, patients with events showed significantly more impaired longitudinal strain at the border zone (-6.8 ± 3.1 % vs. -10.5 ± 4.9 %, P = 0.002), whereas LVEF was comparable (28 ± 6 % vs. 31 ± 4 %, P = 0.09). The median three-month LV longitudinal strain at the border zone was -9.4 %. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that three-month longitudinal strain >-9.4 % at the border zone was independently associated with the composite end point (hazard ratio 3.94, 95 % confidence interval 1.05-14.70; P = 0.04). In conclusion, regional longitudinal strain at the border zone three months post-STEMI is associated with appropriate ICD therapy and cardiac mortality.
Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands, G.E.Hoogslag@lumc.nl.
Georgette E
GE
Hoogslag
Joep
J
Thijssen
Ulas
U
Höke
Helèn
H
Boden
M Louisa
ML
Antoni
Philippe
P
Debonnaire
Marlieke L A
ML
Haeck
Eduard R
ER
Holman
Jeroen J
JJ
Bax
Nina
N
Ajmone Marsan
Martin J
MJ
Schalij
Victoria
V
Delgado
D000368:Aged; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left