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Cardiac dysfunction in cirrhosis is not associated with the severity of liver disease

Manuela Merli1, Angela Calicchia, Alessandra Ruffa

  • 1Gastroenterologia, Dipartimento Medicina Clinica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy. manuela.merli@uniroma1.it

European Journal of Internal Medicine
|September 11, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, characterized by cardiac dysfunction in cirrhosis patients, frequently presents with mild diastolic dysfunction. However, liver disease severity did not correlate with cardiac dysfunction, though ascites presence increased its prevalence.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hepatology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is defined as cardiac dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis.
  • Understanding factors associated with cardiac dysfunction is crucial for managing cirrhotic patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate factors associated with cardiac dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis.
  • To assess systolic and diastolic function in cirrhotic patients compared to controls.

Main Methods:

  • Conventional echocardiography and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) were performed on 74 cirrhotic patients and 26 controls.
  • Systolic and diastolic functions were evaluated according to American Society of Echocardiography guidelines.

Main Results:

  • Cirrhotic patients exhibited increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, decreased peak systolic velocities, and elevated cardiac mass.
  • Diastolic dysfunction was observed in 64% of cirrhotic patients at rest (grade I in 37, grade II in 10).
  • Diastolic dysfunction was more prevalent in patients with ascites (77%) compared to those without (56%).

Conclusions:

  • Mild diastolic dysfunction is common in cirrhotic patients, but cardiac load conditions can complicate diagnosis.
  • No association was found between the severity of liver disease and cardiac dysfunction.
Abstract

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