title: Assessment of the effects of frequent ventricular extrasystoles on the left ventricle using speckle tracking echocardiography in apparently normal hearts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Impairment in left ventricular (LV) function due to excessive ventricular extrasystoles (VESs) occurs during long-time follow-up. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has been shown to be superior to conventional methods for evaluating cardiac functions. We aimed to use STE for early detection of LV dysfunction in patients with apparently normal hearts who have frequent VESs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with frequent VESs were identified according to the Lown classification (Grade 2; unifocal more than 30 times in 1 h). Subjects aged 22-60 years with frequent VESs that had been detected for at least 1 year were included in the study according to the inclusion criteria. Forty-five subjects with similar demographic characteristics, but without VESs, were included as the control group. All participants were evaluated by STE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five patients with frequent VESs (mean age 47 years, range 22-60 years; 42.2% male) and 45 control subjects (mean age 46 years, range 22-60 years; 37.8% male) were enrolled in the study. Global LV longitudinal strain (GLS) was decreased in patients with frequent VESs (-18.41±3.37 and -21.82±2.43; p<0.001). In addition, global LV circumferential strain was decreased in patients with frequent VESs (-16.83±6.06, -20.51±6.02; p<0.001). The frequency and exposure time of VESs were negatively correlated with GLS (r=-0.398, p<0.001; r=-0.191, p=0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  STE revealed that LV functions were decreased in patients with VESs. This deterioration increased with the frequency and exposure time of VESs. Impairment of LV function due to excessive VESs occurs during long-time follow-up. STE may be used for early detection of LV dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University; Çanakkale-Turkey. ahmetbarutcu@comu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barutçu
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bekler
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Temiz
authors.forename: Bahadır
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kırılmaz
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gazi
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Özdemir
authors.forename: Feyza Ulusoy
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Aksu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult