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High altitudes, deeper insights: multicenter cardiovascular magnetic resonance study on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Zixian Chen1, Yue Sun2, Na Yang1

  • 1The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Intelligent Imaging Medical Engineering Research Center of Gansu Province, Accurate Image Collaborative Innovation International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Gansu Province, Gansu Province Clinical Research Center for Radiology Imaging, Lanzhou, China.

European Radiology
|December 31, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Living at high altitudes is linked to increased late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. Higher altitudes are also associated with improved left ventricular (LV) strain, impacting patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Imaging
  • Environmental Cardiology

Background:

  • Altitude is a known cardiovascular disease risk factor.
  • The specific impact of high altitude on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients is not well understood.
  • Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and left ventricular (LV) strain are key indicators of cardiac health in HCM.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between living at high altitudes and the extent of LGE in HCM patients.
  • To determine if altitude influences LV strain parameters in individuals with HCM.
  • To provide insights into potential environmental factors affecting HCM progression.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional study involving 256 HCM patients across four hospitals at varying altitudes in China.
  • Patients were divided into high-altitude (≥1520m) and low-altitude (<151m) groups.
  • Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was used to assess LGE extent and global LV strain.

Main Results:

  • The high-altitude group showed a significantly greater extent of LGE compared to the low-altitude group (p=0.008).
  • Altitude was identified as an independent predictor of increased LGE extent (p<0.001).
  • Higher altitudes were positively associated with LV strain in longitudinal, circumferential, and radial directions (all p<0.050).

Conclusions:

  • HCM patients residing at higher altitudes exhibit significantly increased LGE.
  • Higher altitudes are associated with more favorable LV strain parameters in HCM patients.
  • Clinicians should consider altitude when managing HCM patients, tailoring treatment and follow-up plans accordingly.
Abstract

Keywords:
AltitudeHypertrophic cardiomyopathyLate gadolinium enhancementMagnetic resonance imagingStrain

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