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Updated: May 31, 2026

Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: February 13, 2021
Attenuation of stress-based ventricular contractility in patients with heart failure and normal ejection fraction
Liang Zhong1, Kian Keong Poh, Li Ching Lee
1Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre, Singapore.
Insights
The maximal rate of change of pressure-normalised wall stress (dσ*/dtmax) effectively diagnoses heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF). This echocardiographic measure is a powerful predictor, aiding early diagnosis and management of HFNEF.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- The maximal rate of change of pressure-normalised wall stress (dσ*/dtmax) is a proposed index of left ventricular (LV) contractility.
- Heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) presents diagnostic challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the diagnostic capacity of dσ*/dtmax for identifying HFNEF.
- To evaluate dσ*/dtmax as a predictor of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) and HFNEF.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiography was used to measure dσ*/dtmax in 100 healthy controls, 40 HFNEF patients, and 100 HFREF patients.
- Exclusion criteria included significant valvular heart disease; Tissue Doppler indices were also measured.
Main Results:
- dσ*/dtmax was significantly reduced in HFNEF (3.02 ± 0.98 s⁻¹) and HFREF (2.00 ± 0.67 s⁻¹) compared to controls (4.43 ± 1.27 s⁻¹).
- dσ*/dtmax independently predicted both HFNEF and HFREF.
- Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed high accuracy for detecting HFNEF (AUC 0.84) and HFREF (AUC 0.88).
Conclusions:
- dσ*/dtmax is a powerful independent predictor for diagnosing HFNEF via echocardiography.
- This measure can aid in the early diagnosis, triage, and management of HFNEF patients.
Introduction:
The maximal rate of change of pressure-normalised wall stress dσ*/dtmax has been proposed as cardiac index of left ventricular (LV) contractility. In this study, we assessed the capacity of dσ*/dtmax to diagnose heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF).
Materials And Methods:
One hundred healthy normal controls and 140 patients admitted with heart failure (100, HFREF and 40, HFNEF) underwent echocardiography for stress-based contractility dσ*/dtmax. Patients with signifi cant valvular heart disease were excluded. Tissue Doppler indices were also measured.
Results:
dσ*/dtmax was 4.43 ± 1.27 s-1 in control subjects; reduced in HFNEF, 3.02 ± 0.98 s-1; and HFREF, 2.00 ± 0.67 s-1 (P <0.001). In comparison with age- and sex-matched groups (n = 26 each), we found similar trend on reduction of dσ*/dtmax (normal control; 3.91 ± 0.87 s-1; HFNEF, 2.90 ± 0.84 s-1; HFREF, 1.84 ± 0.59 s-1, P <0.001). On multivariate analysis, dσ*/dtmax was found to be the independent predictor of HFNEF and HFREF. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) in detecting HFNEF compared with normal controls (dσ*/dtmax>3.2 s-1) was 0.84 (P <0.0001), and in detecting HFREF compared with HFNEF (dσ*/dtmax>2.32 s-1) was 0.88 (P <0.0001).
Conclusion:
This data confi rms that dσ*/dtmax on echocardiography is a powerful independent predictor in patients with HFNEF. In a population with a high suspicion of HFNEF, dσ*/dtmax may significantly contribute to early diagnosis and hence be useful in the triage and management of HFNEF patients.
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