Four-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and fragmented QRS in detection of early left ventricular systolic...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Thyroid disorders are recognized cardiovascular risk factors.
• Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in heart failure pathophysiology.
• The impact of subclinical hyperthyroidism (SCH) on subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between SCH and subclinical LV systolic dysfunction.
• To evaluate the utility of 4D strain echocardiography in detecting cardiac abnormalities in SCH patients.
• To determine if fragmented QRS (fQRS) is indicative of subclinical LV dysfunction in SCH.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 56 SCH patients and 40 healthy controls.
• Patients were categorized based on the presence or absence of fQRS.
• Four-dimensional (4D) echocardiography was used to assess LV global area strain (LV-GAS), global radial strain (GRS), global longitudinal strain (GLS), and global circumferential strain (GCS).

Main Results:

• Significant differences in GAS, GRS, GLS, and GCS were observed between SCH patients and healthy volunteers.
• Lower GLS and GAS values were found in the fQRS-positive subgroup compared to the fQRS-negative subgroup.
• fQRS emerged as an independent predictor of LV-GAS, and ProBNP levels correlated positively with LV-GLS and LV-GAS.

Conclusions:

• 4D strain echocardiography shows promise in predicting early cardiac dysfunction in SCH patients.
• The presence of fQRS may serve as a marker for subclinical LV dysfunction in individuals with SCH.