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Magnetic Resonance Derived Myocardial Strain Assessment Using Feature Tracking
Published on: February 12, 2011
Comparison of myocardial deformation indices during rest and after activity in untreated hyperthyroid patients with
Maryam Shojaeifard1, Zahra Davoudi2, Azam Erfanifar2
1Echocardiography Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Untreated hyperthyroidism impairs myocardial deformation, affecting cardiac function even at rest. This study highlights reduced Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) and ejection fraction changes in hyperthyroid patients compared to controls.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Thyroid hormones critically influence cardiovascular function.
- Thyroid diseases, particularly hyperthyroidism, adversely affect myocardial and vascular performance.
- Assessing cardiac function in untreated hyperthyroid patients is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare myocardial deformation indices during rest and exercise between untreated hyperthyroid patients and a healthy control group.
- To evaluate the impact of hyperthyroidism on cardiac mechanics using stress echocardiography.
Main Methods:
- Included 26 untreated hyperthyroid patients and 26 matched healthy controls.
- Measured left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), blood pressures, Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS), Global Circumferential Strain (GCS), Rate-Pressure Product (RPP), and strain rates at rest and peak exercise.
- Utilized stress echocardiography for comprehensive cardiac assessment.
Main Results:
- Hyperthyroid patients exhibited significantly lower Ejection Fraction change (ΔEF), GLS, and peak stress systolic/diastolic strain rates compared to controls.
- Elevated TSH levels correlated positively with basal HR, RPP, and CO, and negatively with basal/maximum GLS, ΔHR, ΔEF, and ΔCO.
- Symptom duration correlated with resting HR, CO, LVEDVI, and negatively with resting/maximal GLS, ΔHR, and ΔGLS.
Conclusions:
- Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) reveals significant impairment in myocardial deformation in untreated hyperthyroid patients.
- These findings underscore the detrimental effects of hyperthyroidism on cardiac mechanics.
- Larger studies are needed to validate these results and their clinical implications.
Background:
Thyroid hormones play an essential role on the cardiovascular system. Also, thyroid diseases have a prominent adverse effect on myocardial and vascular functions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare myocardial deformation indices during resting and after activity between the untreated hyperthyroid patients and normal population.
Methods:
We included 26 untreated participants who were newly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and 26 healthy participants matched in terms of age and sex. The left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), Heart Rate (HR), Cardiac Output (CO), systolic and diastolic blood pressures, Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS), Global Circumferential Strain (GCS), Rate-Pressure Product (RPP), systolic and diastolic strains rates were measured in rest and peak of exercise in stress echocardiography.
Results:
Age and sex distributions were similar among the groups. Also, mean serum TSH was 0.08 ± 0.08 ng/dL in the case group. The participants with the untreated hyperthyroidism had lower Ejection Fraction change (ΔEF), GLS, peak stress systolic and diastolic strains rates compared to the control group. Also, there was a positive association between TSH levels and basal HR, RPP, CO, as well as a negative correlation with basal and maximum GLS, ΔHR, ΔEF, and ΔCO. Also, a duration of symptoms had a linear association with rest HR, CO, and LVEDVI, as well as a negative correlation with rest and maximal GLS, ΔHR, and ΔGLS.
Conclusion:
Myocardial deformation assessed by 2DE imaging are significantly impaired in the hyperthyroid patients. In this regard, further studies with a larger sample size are required to confirm the results of this study.

