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Changes in global longitudinal strain during rest and exercise in patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy
Author(s) -
Valzania Cinzia,
Gadler Fredrik,
Boriani Giuseppe,
Eriksson Maria J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
clinical physiology and functional imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-097X
pISSN - 1475-0961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-097x.2012.01128.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiac resynchronization therapy , cardiology , rest (music) , heart failure , strain (injury) , ejection fraction
Summary Relatively few data have been reported on prospective changes in global longitudinal strain ( GLS ) following cardiac resynchronization therapy ( CRT ), and none are available on GLS during physical exercise. We investigated the effects of CRT on GLS , assessed by speckle tracking two‐dimensional (2 D ) echocardiography, at rest and during exercise after a mid‐term follow‐up. Twenty consecutive CRT patients (45% ischaemic) were assessed prospectively by speckle tracking 2 D echocardiography before implant (at rest) and at mid‐term follow‐up (during rest and bicycle exercise). GLS , septum and lateral wall longitudinal strain, left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF ), and conventional functional variables were evaluated at baseline and follow‐up. All patients completed the study protocol at rest. Exercise images were available in 90% of the patients. At follow‐up, GLS improved at rest from −7·1 ± 2·6% to −9·1 ± 4·5% ( P <0·01), with a further increase to −11 ± 5·1% during exercise ( P <0·001). Longitudinal strain increased at rest both in the septum and in the lateral wall, with an additional increase during exercise in the lateral wall ( P <0·05). GLS correlated with LVEF both at rest ( r = −0·55 and r = −0·91 at baseline and 3 months, respectively; P <0·05) and during exercise ( r = −0·89, P <0·05). Improvement in GLS during rest and exercise can be observed in CRT patients at mid‐term follow‐up and seems to correlate with changes in LVEF . GLS may be a valuable method to assess left ventricular function during rest and exercise.