Myocardial function in primary antiphospholipid syndrome using speckle-tracking echocardiography

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rheumatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk.
• Early detection of cardiac involvement in APS is crucial for risk stratification and management.
• Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) is a sensitive tool for assessing myocardial function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate myocardial function in primary APS (PAPS) patients using STE.
• To determine left ventricle global longitudinal strain (GLS) values in PAPS patients.
• To compare GLS between PAPS patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D) with STE was used to obtain GLS values.
• PAPS patients and age/gender-matched healthy controls were recruited.
• Demographic, clinical data, and cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Average GLS was significantly lower in PAPS patients compared to controls.
• Myocardial deformation was reduced in various myocardial regions of PAPS patients.
• Obesity and dyslipidemia were more prevalent in PAPS patients.

Conclusions:

• GLS is reduced in PAPS patients, suggesting subclinical cardiac involvement.
• STE is a valuable method for detecting cardiac affection in APS patients without overt heart disease.
• Further studies using STE are needed to monitor disease progression in PAPS.