May myocardial work predict the risk of cardiomyopathy in patients with premature ventricular complex?

An increased premature ventricular complex (PVC) frequency is related to an increased risk of cardiomyopathy. Changes in myocardial work (MW) parameters in patients with PVC may be a predictor of the development of cardiomyopathy.

The study included 56 patients with PVC and 50 healthy volunteers as a control group. A comprehensive echocardiographic examination was done. A speckle tracking echocardiography was used to obtain the left ventricle (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS). A bull's eye plot of the global MW index and the global work efficiency of 17 left ventricle segments with MW component values were generated.

Global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), and global work efficiency (GWE) were significantly lower in the patient group (2377.84 ± 216.52 vs.1818.30 ± 283.73, 2734.00 ± 208.90 vs. 2283.73 ± 321.65, 92.48 ± 2.85 vs. 87.75 ± 3.87, respectively, all p values <0.001). Global wasted work (GWW) was significantly higher in the patient group (216.80 ± 26.86 vs. 302.13 ± 41.81, p < 0.001) Patients were compared according to the origin of PVCs. GWI, GCW, GWE were significantly lower and GWW was significantly higher in patients with PVC originating from the right ventricle or the epicardial region (p < 0.001).

Compared to healthy individuals, patients with PVC had lower GCW, GWI, GWE values and a higher GWW value than healthy individuals, similar to cardiomyopathy patients. Therefore, the detoriation in MW parameter in patients with PVC may be a predictor of cardiomyopathy development.