Clinical Applications of Echo Strain Imaging: a Current Appraisal

This article reviews recent advances in echocardiographic strain imaging, particularly in its ability to prognosticate in cardiovascular outcomes and impact clinical decision making.

Strain has been proposed as a sensitive tool in detecting early ventricular dysfunction. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) detects subtle changes in myocardial function, often not quantifiable by ejection fraction alone. Thus, LV-GLS provides the opportunity for early decision-making, and the implementation of more effective treatments, improving outcomes in a variety of diseases such as valvular heart diseases, cardio-oncology, ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, heart transplantation, and pericardial diseases and cardiomyopathies. Strain is a promising tool for the early detection of myocardial dysfunction in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction and can prognosticate long-term outcomes.