Heart disease and left ventricular rotation - a systematic review and quantitative summary

Left ventricular (LV) rotation is increasingly examined in those with heart disease. The available evidence measuring LV rotation in those with heart diseases has not been systematically reviewed.

To review systematically the evidence measuring LV rotational changes in various heart diseases compared to healthy controls, literature searches were conducted for appropriate articles using several electronic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, EMBASE). All randomized-controlled trials, prospective cohort and case-controlled studies that assessed LV rotation in relation to various heart conditions were included. Three independent reviewers evaluated each investigation's quality using validated scales. Results were tabulated and levels of evidence assigned.

A total of 1,782 studies were found through the systematic literature search. Upon review of the articles, 47 were included. The articles were separated into those investigating changes in LV rotation in participants with: aortic stenosis, myocardial infarction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, non-compaction, restrictive cardiomyopathy/ constrictive pericarditis, heart failure, diastolic dysfunction, heart transplant, implanted pacemaker, coronary artery disease and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Evidence showing changes in LV rotation due to various types of heart disease was supported by evidence with limited to moderate methodological quality.

Despite a relatively low quality and volume of evidence, the literature consistently shows that heart disease leads to marked changes in LV rotation, while rotational systolic-diastolic coupling is preserved. No prognostic information exists on the potential value of rotational measures of LV function. The literature suggests that measures of LV rotation may aid in diagnosing subclinical aortic stenosis and diastolic dysfunction.