Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Morphological and Functional Assessment of the Right Ventricle Using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Association Between Left Ventricular Global Function Index and Outcomes in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Tong Liu1,2,3, Zhen Zhou4, Kairui Bo4
1Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Insights
Left ventricular global function index (LVGFI) measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) predicts better outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients. Higher LVGFI is linked to fewer major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), indicating its prognostic value in heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Heart Failure Research
Background:
- Left ventricular global function index (LVGFI) assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) shows promise for predicting clinical outcomes.
- The prognostic role of LVGFI in heart failure (HF) patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains uncertain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between LVGFI and clinical outcomes in patients with DCM.
- To determine if LVGFI can predict major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 334 consecutive DCM patients who underwent CMR between January 2015 and April 2020.
- LVGFI was the primary exposure variable, with outcomes assessed using multivariable models adjusted for confounders.
- The composite endpoint included death or heart transplantation over a median follow-up of 565 days.
Main Results:
- Patients with LVGFI below 15.73% had a significantly higher incidence of the composite endpoint (P = 0.0021).
- Each 1 SD increase in LVGFI was associated with a 38% decrease in MACEs (HR 0.62), and this association persisted after adjustment (46% decrease, HR 0.54).
- Subgroup analyses confirmed the consistency of these findings.
Conclusions:
- Increased CMR-assessed LVGFI is associated with a reduced long-term risk of MACEs in patients with DCM.
- LVGFI serves as a valuable prognostic marker in DCM, independent of traditional risk factors.
- These findings support the utility of LVGFI in risk stratification for DCM patients.
Abstract:
Purpose: Left ventricular global function index (LVGFI) assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) seems promising in the prediction of clinical outcomes. However, the role of the LVGFI is uncertain in patients with heart failure (HF) with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). To describe the association of LVGFI and outcomes in patients with DCM, it was hypothesized that LVGFI is associated with decreased major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with DCM. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2015 to April 2020 in consecutive patients with DCM who underwent CMR. The association between outcomes and LVGFI was assessed using a multivariable model adjusted with confounders. LVGFI was the primary exposure variable. The long-term outcome was a composite endpoint, including death or heart transplantation. Results: A total of 334 patients (mean age: 55 years) were included in this study. The average of CMR-LVGFI was 16.53%. Over a median follow-up of 565 days, 43 patients reached the composite endpoint. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with LVGFI lower than the cutoff values (15.73%) had a higher estimated cumulative incidence of the endpoint compared to those with LVGFI higher than the cutoff values (P = 0.0021). The hazard of MACEs decreased by 38% for each 1 SD increase in LVGFI (hazard ratio 0.62[95%CI 0.43-0.91]) and after adjustment by 46% (HR 0.54 [95%CI 0.32-0.89]). The association was consistent across subgroup analyses. Conclusion: In this study, an increase in CMR-LVGFI was associated with decreasing the long-term risk of MACEs with DCM after adjustment for traditional confounders.
Related Concept Videos
Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy V: Interprofessional Care
Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation
Pathophysiology of Heart Failure

