Usefulness of two-dimensional longitudinal strain pattern to predict left ventricular recovery and in-hospital complications after acute anterior myocardial infarction treated successfully by primary angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to test the usefulness of two-dimensional longitudinal strain pattern in segments with wall motion abnormalities to predict left ventricular recovery and in-hospital cardiac events as well as coronary microvascular impairment (CMI) in patients with recent acute anterior myocardial infarction. METHODS: Forty-nine consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (mean age, 59 ± 13 years) treated successfully with primary coronary angioplasty prospectively underwent transthoracic Doppler echocardiography 24 hours after angioplasty and during follow-up (6 months). A two-dimensional strain analysis, including measurement of the duration of systolic lengthening expressed as a percentage of systolic duration (SL % duration), the lengthening-to-shortening ratio, the postsystolic shortening index in segments with wall motion abnormalities, and global longitudinal strain and left anterior descending coronary artery territory strain, was performed. Cardiac events were defined as a composite of death, reinfarction, and heart failure. CMI was assessed noninvasively by transthoracic Doppler left anterior descending coronary artery investigation <24 h after angioplasty and was defined as coronary flow velocity reserve < 1.7 and/or a no-reflow pattern (mean coronary flow velocity reserve, 1.8 ± 0.6 in the whole group). RESULTS: At the segmental level, SL % duration, lengthening-to-shortening ratio, and postsystolic shortening index were correlated with recovery (defined as normalization of wall motion abnormalities), whereas in multivariate analysis, only SL % duration independently predicted recovery (threshold level, 40%; area under the curve, 0.76; P < .01). At the patient level, in univariate analysis, SL % duration, global longitudinal strain, left anterior descending coronary artery territory strain, and troponin peak were correlated with recovery (defined as an absolute improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction of >5%). In multivariate analysis, SL % duration was independently related to recovery (area under the curve, 0.78; P < .01). Furthermore, SL % duration was independently linked to cardiac events (n = 13) and CMI (n = 24) (P < .01 for all). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AMI treated by primary angioplasty, two-dimensional strain predicts left ventricular recovery independently of more traditional parameters and is independently linked to cardiac events and CMI.

Relationship between acute strain pattern and recovery in tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy and acute anterior myocardial infarction: a comparative study using two-dimensional longitudinal strain.

After acute-anterior myocardial infarction (AMI), left ventricular (LV) viable myocardial segments show some degree of active deformation (longitudinal shortening) despite wall motion abnormalities (WMA). Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is characterized by myocardial stunning; however, it is unclear whether in TTC the strain pattern mimics AMI. To compare the strain-pattern in TTC and AMI using the 2D-longitudinal strain by speckle-tracking in segments with WMA, and its relationship with recovery of function at follow-up. 21 consecutive patients with typical TTC and 21 age-matched AMI patients treated by primary angioplasty had an analysis of LV-longitudinal strain at the acute-phase and at follow-up (1 and 6 months later for TTC and AMI respectively). The recovery of a segment was defined as normal wall motion at follow-up. Among the 706 analyzable LV-segments at the acute-phase, 406 had WMA (TTC 229, AMI 177). At follow-up, total recovery was observed for 45 % segments in AMI and 100 % in TTC, (p < 0.01). At the acute phase, systolic lengthening duration (47 ± 43 vs. 18 ± 33 %) and amplitude (0.25 ± 0.29 vs. 0.09 ± 0.19) and post systolic shortening (67 ± 53 vs. 39 ± 38 %) were higher in TTC, when compared to AMI-recovery (all, p < 0.01). In AMI, systolic lengthening duration was an independent predictor of poor recovery in multivariate analysis, linked to segmental longitudinal strain at follow-up (all, p ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, among the 57 % of segments exhibiting any systolic lengthening duration in AMI, only » recovered, versus 62 % of such segments in TTC with 100 % recovery (p < 0.001). The systolic passive motion which is closely and inversely linked to recovery in AMI is paradoxically frequent and severe in TTC. This suggests that myocardial stunning in TTC and AMI is different according to longitudinal strain.

Impact of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy on heart valves in patients exposed to benfluorex: a multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Given the association between valvular heart disease and drugs that alter serotonin metabolism, concerns have been raised about the possibility of an association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use and drug-induced valvular disease. In France, SSRI use has been suggested to be an important confounding factor in the development of heart valve lesions in patients exposed to benfluorex in the context of the 'Médiator scandal'. AIMS: To address the relationship between SSRI use and valve regurgitation and morphology in a large cohort of patients exposed to benfluorex. METHODS: Overall, 832 consecutive patients exposed to benfluorex prospectively referred to 10 centres underwent complete echocardiography examinations according to a standardized protocol. Echocardiograms were independently and blindly read off-line by two experts. RESULTS: Ninety patients had been exposed to SSRIs for 3 months or more. The proportions of patients with no or trivial, mild, moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (MR) or aortic regurgitation (AR) were not different between SSRI patients and non-SSRI patients (P=0.63 and 0.58, respectively). The frequencies of AR ≥ mild (20 [22.2%] vs 145 [19.5%]; P=0.55) and MR ≥ mild (14 [15.6%] vs 118 [15.9%]; P=0.93) were similar in SSRI patients and non-SSRI patients. The frequencies of aortic and mitral valve abnormalities suggestive of drug-induced toxicity were also similar in the two patient groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed the absence of any identifiable relationship between AR or MR and morphological abnormalities and SSRI use in the present cohort. CONCLUSION: Exposure to SSRIs was not associated with an increased risk of heart valve regurgitation or morphological abnormalities suggestive of drug-induced toxicity in this large cohort of patients exposed to benfluorex.