Efecto del alcohol sobre el corazón y el sistema cardiovascular: hipertrofia, remodelamiento y disminución del strain. Información actual / Alcohol Impact on the Heart and Cardiovascular System - Hypertrophy, Remodeling and Strain Impairment - Contemporary State-of-the-Art

RESUMEN Datos recientes muestran que el abuso crónico de alcohol puede conducir a disfunción cardiovascular, a partir de dosis de etanol tradicionalmente consideradas bajas, y que la aparición de arritmias, incluyendo la fibrilación auricular, aumenta aún en consumidores de alcohol moderados. Los otros mecanismos comunes del impacto negativo del etanol están relacionados con el desarrollo de hipertensión y su consecuencia directa, la hipertrofia, fibrosis y disfunción diastólica. Debido a que la probabilidad de reversibilidad del remodelamiento cardíaco depende de un diagnóstico temprano de disfunción cardíaca, se debería recomendar la aplicación más amplia de métodos nuevos y más sensibles de evaluación de la función miocárdica, incluyendo el strain longitudinal ventricular izquierdo y derecho, así como de los protocolos adaptados a la ecocardiografía de estrés.

ABSTRACT The recent data show that chronic overuse of alcohol may lead to cardiovascular dysfunction, starting from traditionally judged as low ethanol doses, and that the burden of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, increases even in moderate alcohol consumers. The other common mechanisms of the disadvantageous impact of ethanol are related to the development of hypertension and its direct aftermath, hypertrophy, fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction. Since the chance of the reversibility of cardiac remodeling depends on the early diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction, the wider application of novel and sensitive methods of myocardial function assessment, including longitudinal strain of the left and right ventricles, as well as the adapted protocols for stress echocardiography, should be recommended.

Higher rate of aortic stenosis progression in patients with bicuspid versus tricuspid aortic valve - A single center experience.

PURPOSE: We sought to investigate aortic stenosis (AS) progression rate (pr) with the comparison between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) morphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared ASpr in patients with BAV and TAV examined by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the years 2004-2019. RESULTS: Data from 363 TTEs in 161 AS patients (median age 70 [61-77] years; 63% men; 25% with BAV; 20% with severe AS) performed at different time points (median time interval 10 months) was analyzed. We assessed changes of AS severity with peak velocity through aortic valve (Vmax), mean/peak pressure gradients (MG/PG), aortic valve area by planimetry and continuity equation (AVAce). We compared pr (defined as parameter change per year) between the BAV and the TAV groups. BAV patients showed faster ASpr with odds ratio 3.467 and 95% confidence intervals 1.36 to 8.86, moreover, expressed as a quicker AVAce decrease 0 (-0.4-0.0) in the BAV vs. 0 (-0.15 - 0.0) cm2/year in the TAV group, p â€‹= â€‹0.02. Furthermore, in BAV, female sex was associated with lower ASpr (p â€‹= â€‹0.01), and in the whole group a larger aortic diameter was a predictor of faster progression (p â€‹< â€‹0.001). CONCLUSION: The ASpr, expressed as a decrease in the AVAce, was faster in BAV. Moreover, ASpr depends on both: valve morphology being faster in BAV and Vmax increase. Furthermore, the female sex was related to slower pace of AVA reduction in BAV subgroup whereas the larger baseline aortic diameter associated to faster AS progression in the whole studied group.

The impact of chronic alcohol overuse on heart function and prognosis: layer-specific longitudinal strain and mid-term outcome analysis.

BACKGROUND: The exact effects of alcohol drinking on cardiac function are not clear. AIMS: This study aimed to determine the relationship between consumed amount of alcohol, myocardial injury, and prognosis. METHODS: Myocardial function and cardiac outcomes were examined in subjects with chronic alcoholism by classical and strain echocardiographic parameters, including global (GLS) and layer-specific longitudinal strain of the endocardial (GLSendo) and epicardial (GLSepi) layer. One group of 65 alcohol-overusers (ALC), median (IQR, interquartile range) age 44 (38-51) years, was compared with 30 controls (CG). RESULTS: Median (IQR) alcohol dose (in alcohol units, 1 AU = 1 g of ethanol) per week was 30 (12-51) AU in ALC and 0 in CG; P <0.001, and the mean (SD, standard deviation) drinking period was 16 (9) years. ALC patients demonstrated higher left ventricular (LV) mass and impaired diastolic function. The ALC group demonstrated lower median (IQR) LV ejection fraction (EF): 52% (37%-57%) vs 60% (55%-63%) (P <0.001); GLS: 17% (9%-20%) vs 19% (18%-21%) (P = 0.01); absolute layer-specific strain values. GLSendo <19% and GLSepi <15% predicted worsened mid-term prognosis, as did elevated N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and lower EF and GLS. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term alcohol overuse, even with a rather low reported median (IQR) dose of 4 (2-7) AU per day resulted in LV hypertrophy, diastolic and systolic dysfunction. Diminished GLS <18%, endocardial <19% and epicardial <15% layer strain predicted combined endpoints but did not significantly improve the prognostic power of tested models, based on NT-proBNP and EF in follow-up.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the case of 72-year-old teacher after work-related psychological stress. Evolution of left ventricular longitudinal strain - Delayed but complete recovery in automated function imaging (AFI).

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is related to a transient systolic dysfunction of left ventricle (LV), accompanied by clinical and electrocardiographic symptoms of myocardial ischemia in the absence of hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is usually provoked by a psychologically or/and physically stressful event which may be related to occupational activities. Although visually assessed evolution of LV function is well documented, the data concerning strain changes is sparse and various patterns of deformation abnormalities are suggested. We have described a 72-year-old woman with chest pain related to a lecture given at the meeting of the Senior University, fulfilling all the Mayo Clinic criteria of the TC. The longitudinal strain analysis with automated function imaging (AFI) documented severe impairment and stepwise recovery of regional and global LV contractility. The case described confirms that accurate diagnosis, treatment and documenting of functional improvement in takotsubo cardiomyopathy may enable the return to occupational activities even for elderly persons. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(4):681-683.

Delayed longitudinal myocardial function recovery after dobutamine challenge as a novel presentation of myocardial dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients without angiographic coronary artery disease.

AIMS: Since myocardial dysfunction in diabetic patients without coronary artery disease (CAD) is subtle at rest, the assessment during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) may be more sensitive for detection of myocardial involvement. We assessed systolic function of the left ventricle during all stages of DSE in 3 diabetic patients free of significant CAD using state-of-the-art speckle-tracking quantification. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed DSE in 250 patients with angina recording views during baseline (0), peak (1), and recovery phase (2). All patients had coronary anatomy verified with ≥ 50% stenosis in left main and ≥ 70% in other arteries considered as significant. In this analysis, we included 25 subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM) but without CAD (mean age 62 ± 8) and compared them with an age- and sex-matched group of 85 controls without DM and CAD (mean age 60 ± 9). Global peak systolic longitudinal strain (PSLS) of the left ventricle was obtained by automated function imaging (AFI) at rest, peak, and recovery phase of DSE. The global PSLS was similar in both groups at baseline (-17.3 ± 4.0% in diabetics vs. -18.7 ± 3.3% in controls, P = ns) and at peak stage of DSE (-16.4 ± 4.5% in diabetics vs. -17.9 ± 4.2% in controls, P = ns), whereas at recovery absolute value was lower in patients with DM (-15.3 ± 3.2% vs. -17.2 ± 3.3%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Peak systolic longitudinal strain measured by AFI during recovery of DSE was impaired in diabetic patients. It may reflect longer time needed for full restoration of myocardial systolic function in this group of subjects.

Prognostic Implications of Discordant Results of Myocardial Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography and Exercise ECG Test in Patients with Stable Angina.

BACKGROUND: ECG exercise treadmill test (ExT) and myocardial perfusion SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) study are widely used for the non-invasive evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). OBJECTIVES: To assess long-term prognosis in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD), in whom ECG exercise treadmill test (ExT) and myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provided discordant results are lacking. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four hundred eighty three patients with suspected or known stable CAD underwent 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile SPECT and ExT. SPECT was considered positive (+) if inducible or mixed perfusion defects were detected. ExT was evaluated using widely accepted criteria. Based on the results of both examinations the patients were divided into 4 subgroups: group 1 - SPECT (+) and ExT (+), group 2 - SPECT (+) and ExT (-), group 3 - SPECT (-) and ExT (+), group 4 - SPECT (-) and ExT (-). RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 59 ± 7 months, major cardiac events (cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction combined) and revascularizations were more prevalent in groups 1 and 2 than in groups 3 and 4. However, the statistical significance (p ≤ 0.01) was reached only for the following differences: in major cardiac events - group 1 vs group 3 and group 1 vs group 4; in revascularizations - group 1 vs. group 3, group 1 vs. group 4 and group 2 vs group 4 and in cardiac hospitalizations - group 1 vs. group 4 and group 2 vs. group 4. CONCLUSIONS: Positive myocardial perfusion SPECT result is associated with similar clinical outcome irrespectively of ExT result in long-term follow-up.

Feasibility and correlation of standard 2D speckle tracking echocardiography and automated function imaging derived parameters of left ventricular function during dobutamine stress test.

Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a method of quantitative assessment of myocardial function complementary to ejection fraction and visual evaluation. Standard STE analysis, demands manual tracing of the myocardium whereas automated function imaging (AFI) offers more convenient (based on selection of three points) assessment of longitudinal strain. Nevertheless, feasibility and correlation between both methods were not thoroughly examined, especially during tachycardia at peak stage of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). We performed DSE in 238 patients (pts) with recording of apical views during baseline (0) and peak (1) DSE and analyzed them by STE and AFI. According to angiography, 127/238 pts had significant (≥70%) lesions in coronary arteries. We assessed correlations between STE and AFI derived peak systolic longitudinal strain values for global and regional parameters, feasibility, time of analysis and interobserver agreement. Global systolic longitudinal strain measured during baseline and peak stage of DSE by AFI showed very good correlation with standard STE parameters, with correlation coefficients r = 0.90 and r = 0.86 respectively (p < 0.0001). For regional parameters correlation coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 0.85 for baseline and from 0.70 to 0.79 for peak DSE. Both methods provided good and similar feasibility with only 1% segments excluded from analysis at peak stage of DSE with shorter time and lower coefficient of variance offered by AFI. Global and regional longitudinal strain achieved by faster and less operator-dependent AFI method correlate well with standard more time-consuming STE analysis during baseline and peak stage of DSE.

Long-term prognostic value of inducible and resting perfusion defects detected by single-photon emission computed tomography in the era of wide availability of coronary revascularization.

PURPOSE: To assess the long-term prognostic value of various types of perfusion defects detected by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with stable angina. METHODS: Seven hundred and thirty two patients (299 men, mean age 57 ± 9 years) with suspected or known stable coronary artery disease underwent rest/exercise SPECT protocol using 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI). All patients completed clinical follow-up regarding cardiac events (cardiac death, sudden cardiac death, acute coronary syndrome, revascularization, cardiac hospitalization) for a mean period of 58 ± 8 months. Event rates were analysed in subgroups defined according to the presence of fixed or inducible myocardial perfusion defects. RESULTS: During the follow-up, 15 cardiac deaths were recorded, 13 of which were qualified as a sudden cardiac death, 59 acute coronary syndromes, 65 revascularizations and 209 cardiac hospitalizations. The presence of inducible perfusion defects on SPECT was associated with a high risk for occurrence of all analysed end points: sudden cardiac death (HR = 3·96, P = 0·01), cardiac hospitalization (HR = 1·5, P = 0·004), coronary syndrome (HR = 2·33, P = 0·001) and coronary revascularization (HR = 2·76, P = 0·0002), except for the cardiac death (P = 0·27). Resting perfusion defects were highly predictive for cardiac death (HR = 7·45; P = 0·001), but not for other cardiac events (P = NS). The presence of any (inducible or resting) perfusion defects was associated with a high risk of all cardiovascular complications. CONCLUSIONS: In long-term follow-up, SPECT proved highly predictive of cardiac events in patients with suspected or known CAD. In the revascularization era, cardiac death is most accurately related to the presence of resting perfusion defects, but all other cardiac events were better predicted by inducible perfusion defects.