Speckle Tracking Echocardiography and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit a highly increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Subtle changes in left ventricular function can be detected by two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). This study investigated whether myocardial dysfunction detected by 2D STE may aid in CV and all-cause mortality risk assessment in patients with CKD stages 3 and 4.

A study group of 285 patients (CKD 3: 193 patients; CKD 4: 92 patients) and a healthy control group (34 participants) were included in the retrospective study. 2D STE values as well as early and late diastolic strain rates were measured in ventricular longitudinal, circumferential and radial directions. Patients' CV and all-cause outcome was determined.

In the CKD group all measured longitudinal STE values and radial strain were significantly reduced compared to the control group. Cox proportional hazards regression revealed global longitudinal strain to predict CV and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.25; p = 0.0008 and HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.14; p = 0.0003). After adjustment for sex, age, diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and preexisting CV disease, this association was maintained for CV mortality and all-cause mortality (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.27; p = 0.0019 and HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.14; p = 0.0026, respectively).

The present study shows that 2D STE detects reduced left ventricular myocardial function and allows the prediction of CV and all-cause mortality in patients at CKD stages 3 and 4.