Multidirectional global left ventricular systolic function in normal subjects and patients with hypertension:...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Echocardiography
• Cardiac Function Assessment

Background:

• Global left ventricular (LV) systolic function is crucial for cardiovascular health.
• Traditional measures like ejection fraction may not detect early systolic dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normal ranges for multidirectional systolic parameters.
• To assess the clinical relevance of these parameters in evaluating global LV systolic function.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter study analyzed 323 healthy adults and 310 hypertensive patients.
• Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography assessed longitudinal-circumferential systolic index and global systolic index.
• These indices represent averages of global systolic strain in different directions.

Main Results:

• Normal ranges for longitudinal-circumferential systolic index (-21.22 ± 2.22%) and global systolic index (29.71 ± 5.28%) were determined.
• Lower expected values were established: -16.86% and 19.36% respectively.
• Multidirectional indices revealed subtle LV systolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients with normal ejection fraction and longitudinal strain.
• These indices correlated inversely with functional class (dyspnea) in hypertensive patients.

Conclusions:

• Normal ranges and clinical relevance of multidirectional systolic parameters for global LV function were established.
• These parameters are valuable for detecting subclinical LV systolic dysfunction.
• They provide a more comprehensive assessment of LV systolic function, particularly in conditions like hypertension.