Early Detection of Subclinical Myocardial Dysfunction in Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy Using Myocardial Work...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Genetics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Early detection of familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is critical for timely intervention.
• Myocardial work (MW) analysis integrates strain imaging and blood pressure to detect subclinical cardiac disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of MW analysis in identifying early myocardial changes in asymptomatic relatives of DCM patients with a positive genotype (G+) compared to genotype-negative (G-) controls.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-seven asymptomatic relatives of DCM patients were divided into G+ (n=39) and G- (n=38) groups based on genetic testing.
• Comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation including MW parameters (GWI, GCW, GWW, GWE) was performed.
• Statistical analyses compared MW parameters between groups and assessed their predictive value for genotype status.

Main Results:

• G+ individuals showed significantly reduced global work efficiency (GWE) and increased global wasted work (GWW) compared to G- controls.
• GWE and GWW were significant predictors of gene carrier status in multivariable analysis.
• Increased baseline GWW and reduced GWE correlated with the development of cardiomyopathy phenotype during follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Myocardial work analysis, specifically GWE and GWW, effectively identifies early myocardial dysfunction in asymptomatic carriers of genetic variants for DCM.
• MW analysis shows potential to complement traditional imaging for early detection and management of familial DCM.