Early subclinical left ventricular dysfunction after surgical menopause: a prospective speckle-tracking...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Menopause, particularly surgical menopause, is linked to cardiovascular changes.
• The early impact of surgical menopause on subclinical left ventricular systolic function needs further definition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare longitudinal changes in left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) between women with natural menopause and those undergoing surgical menopause.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study comparing 42 natural menopause women with 39 surgical menopause women.
• Echocardiography and 2D speckle-tracking assessed LV GLS at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months post-intervention.
• Linear mixed-effects models adjusted for age analyzed longitudinal LV GLS changes.

Main Results:

• Surgical menopause group was older; baseline LV GLS and ejection fraction were similar.
• At 1 month, LV GLS showed significantly greater deterioration in the surgical group (p=0.030).
• This difference was not significant at 6 months (p=0.070), though a trend persisted.

Conclusions:

• Surgical menopause is associated with early, age-adjusted deterioration in LV GLS at 1 month.
• LV GLS may be an early cardiovascular monitoring tool for women undergoing surgical menopause.
• Long-term prognostic value requires further validation in larger studies.