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Image-Based Estimation of Left Ventricular Myocardial Stiffness
Tarek Shazly1, Logan Eads2, Mia Kazel2
1College of Engineering and Computing, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208; College of Engineering and Computing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208; Cardiovascular Translational Research Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.
Quantifying left ventricular myocardial stiffness using echocardiography can aid heart failure diagnosis. This study presents a simple protocol for assessing stiffness, crucial for early detection in at-risk patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Left ventricular (LV) myocardial stiffness is a critical factor in heart failure (HF) development and progression.
- Current clinical methods for quantifying myocardial stiffness are limited, hindering early HF diagnosis and management.
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is particularly challenging to diagnose early due to subtle myocardial changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a simple, clinically applicable protocol for quantifying left ventricular myocardial stiffness from routine echocardiographic data.
- To provide a specific protocol for assessing myocardial stiffness in patients at risk for HFpEF.
- To establish the translational feasibility and sensitivity of the proposed echocardiographic method.
Main Methods:
- A novel protocol was developed to process standard echocardiographic images.
- The protocol quantifies an index of left ventricular myocardial stiffness.
- The method was validated in both preclinical models and a clinical patient cohort.
Main Results:
- The proposed protocol successfully generated an index of left ventricular myocardial stiffness.
- Representative findings demonstrated the sensitivity of the method in detecting changes in myocardial stiffness.
- The protocol showed translational feasibility, suggesting its potential for clinical adoption.
Conclusions:
- A straightforward echocardiographic protocol can effectively quantify left ventricular myocardial stiffness.
- This method holds promise for early diagnosis and risk stratification of heart failure, particularly HFpEF.
- The demonstrated sensitivity and feasibility support the integration of this technique into routine clinical practice.
