Predictors of Reduced Left Ventricle Global Longitudinal Strain One Year After COVID-19 Pneumonia

Aim      To identify predictors of decreased left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) using the method of speckle-tracking in gray scale one year after COVID-19-associated pneumonia in patients without ischemic heart disease (IHD), previous pulmonary embolism (PE), peripheral thrombosis, and atrial fibrillation (AF).Material and methods  The study included 156 patients from the Prospective Registry of People After COVID-19-Associated Pneumonia, with optimal visualization quality according to echocardiography (EchoCG), without IHD, AF, history of pulmonary embolism (PE), and peripheral thrombosis. The patients underwent clinical examination in the hospital during the acute period and at 3 and 12 months after discharge from the hospital. To identify earlier predictors of LV GLS impairment, clinical, laboratory, and instrumental data obtained in the hospital and at 3 months of discharge were compared based on the presence of LV GLS impairment one year after discharge (43 patients with reduced LV GLS and 113 patients with normal LV GLS). An LV GLS value ≥18% was considered reduced.Results At 3 months after discharge from the hospital, LV GLS impairment was detected in 34 (21.8%) of 156 patients, and 12 months later, in 43 (27.6%; p=0.211) of 156 patients. In contrast to the group with normal LV GLS, the majority of the group with reduced LV GLS were men (74.4% vs. 37.2%; p=0.001). In this group, body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher (29.9±4.3 kg/m2 vs. 28.1±4.5 kg/m2; p=0.011), and biological (11.6% vs. 2.7%; p=0.024) and hormonal therapy was administered more frequently (38.1% vs. 22.3%; p=0.049). The final predictive model for LV GLS impairment included male gender (odds ratio (OR), 5.65; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22-14.37; p <0.001), BMI (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.23; p=0.040), left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01-1.22; p=0.046) and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) acceleration time (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99; p=0.027).Conclusion      One year after COVID-19-associated pneumonia, a decrease in LV GLS was observed in 27.6% of patients without IHD, AF, history of PE, and peripheral thrombosis and was associated with male gender, increased BMI and LVESVI, and shortened RVOT acceleration time as measured 3 months after discharge from the hospital. The decrease in LV GLS one year after discharge was not associated with the severity of the disease, length of stay in the hospital, or biological and hormonal therapy.