Trajectory of Diastolic Function after Heart Transplantation as Assessed by Left Atrial Deformation Analysis.

Diastolic dysfunction (DD) is a prevalent and clinically significant complication after heart transplantation (HTX). We aimed to characterize the diastolic function of HTX recipients with both short-term and long-term follow-ups by applying left atrial (LA) deformation analysis. We consecutively enrolled and followed up with 33 HTX patients. Three assessments were performed one month, 3-5 months, and 3-5 years after surgery. Beyond conventional echocardiographic measurements, apical four-chamber views optimized for speckle tracking analysis were acquired and post-processed by dedicated software solutions (TomTec AutoStrain LA and LV). Left atrial phasic functions were characterized by reservoir, conduit, and contraction strains. We categorized diastolic function according to current guidelines (normal diastolic function, indeterminate, DD). At the first assessment, nine (27%) patients were in the DD category, and eleven (33%) were indeterminate. At the second assessment, only one patient (3%) remained in the DD category and six (18%) were indeterminate. At the third assessment, 100% of patients were categorized as having normal diastolic function. LA reservoir strain gradually increased over time. LA contraction strain significantly improved from the second to the third assessment. We found a correlation between the LA reservoir strain and NT-proBNP (r = 0.40, p < 0.05). DD is prevalent immediately after HTX but rare until the end of the first postoperative quarter. Speckle tracking analysis enables the characterization of LA phasic functions that may reflect both short- and long-term changes in diastolic function and correlate with NT-proBNP.

Non-invasive assessment of left ventricular contractility by myocardial work index in veno-arterial membrane oxygenation patients: rationale and design of the MIX-ECMO multicentre observational study.

Introduction and aims: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is an increasingly utilized therapeutic choice in patients with cardiogenic shock, however, high complication rate often counteracts with its beneficial cardiopulmonary effects. The assessment of left ventricular (LV) function in key in the management of this population, however, the most commonly used measures of LV performance are substantially load-dependent. Non-invasive myocardial work is a novel LV functional measure which may overcome this limitation and estimate LV function independent of the significantly altered loading conditions of VA-ECMO therapy. The Usefulness of Myocardial Work IndeX in ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients (MIX-ECMO) study aims to examine the prognostic role of non-invasive myocardial work in VA-ECMO-supported patients. Methods: The MIX-ECMO is a multicentric, prospective, observational study. We aim to enroll 110 patients 48-72 h after the initiation of VA-ECMO support. The patients will undergo a detailed echocardiographic examination and a central echocardiography core laboratory will quantify conventional LV functional measures and non-invasive myocardial work parameters. The primary endpoint will be failure to wean at 30 days as a composite of cardiovascular mortality, need for long-term mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation at 30 days, and besides that other secondary objectives will also be investigated. Detailed clinical data will also be collected to compare LV functional measures to parameters with established prognostic role and also to the Survival After Veno-arterial-ECMO (SAVE) score. Conclusions: The MIX-ECMO study will be the first to determine if non-invasive myocardial work has added prognostic value in patients receiving VA-ECMO support.

Myocardial work of the systemic right ventricle and its association with outcomes.

We aimed to evaluate clinical and prognostic significance of myocardial work parameters of the systemic right ventricle (SRV). Thirty-eight patients with the SRV underwent echocardiographic assessment of the SRV systolic function including 3D-echocardiography derived ejection fraction, 2D longitudinal strain and myocardial work analysis. The study endpoint was the combination of all-cause mortality and heart transplantation. Global constructive work (GCW) and global work index (GWI) demonstrated moderate correlation with the 3DE-derived SRV ejection fraction (EF) (Rho 0.64, p < 0.0001 and Rho 0.63, p < 0.0001, respectively). GCW showed the strongest correlation with the BNP level (Rho - 0.77, p < 0.0001), closely followed by GWI, 4-chamber longitudinal strain and 3DE EF (all Rho - 0.73, p < 0.0001). GCW and GWI were significantly lower in patients with moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation compared with less than moderate regurgitation (1226 ± 439 vs 1509 ± 264 mmHg%, p = 0.02, and 984 ± 348 vs 1259 ± 278 mmHg%, p = 0.01, respectively). During a follow-up of 3.5 (2.8-3.9) years, seven patients (18%) died and one received transplantation (3%). They had significantly lower GCW and GWI compared with patients who did not reach the study endpoint (908 ± 255 vs 1433 ± %, p < 0.001 and 721 ± 210 vs 1173 ± 315 mmHg%, p < 0.001, respectively). In Cox regression analysis, GCW, GWI, 3DE SRV volumes and EF were the best-fit models based on the Akaike Information Criterion, outperforming longitudinal strain parameters. GWI and GCW, novel echocardiographic parameters of myocardial work, provided reliable quantification of the SRV systolic function. GWI, GCW and 3DE-derived SRV parameters were closely associated with all-cause mortality and heart transplantation in patients with the SRV.

Deep Learning-Based Prediction of Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction Using 2D Echocardiograms.

BACKGROUND: Evidence has shown the independent prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) function, even in patients with left-sided heart disease. The most widely used imaging technique to measure RV function is echocardiography; however, conventional 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic assessment is unable to leverage the same clinical information that 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography-derived right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) can provide. OBJECTIVES: The authors aimed to implement a deep learning (DL)-based tool to estimate RVEF from 2D echocardiographic videos. In addition, they benchmarked the tool's performance against human expert reading and evaluated the prognostic power of the predicted RVEF values. METHODS: The authors retrospectively identified 831 patients with RVEF measured by 3D echocardiography. All 2D apical 4-chamber view echocardiographic videos of these patients were retrieved (n = 3,583), and each subject was assigned to either the training or the internal validation set (80:20 ratio). Using the videos, several spatiotemporal convolutional neural networks were trained to predict RVEF. The 3 best-performing networks were combined into an ensemble model, which was further evaluated in an external data set containing 1,493 videos of 365 patients with a median follow-up time of 1.9 years. RESULTS: The ensemble model predicted RVEF with a mean absolute error of 4.57 percentage points in the internal and 5.54 percentage points in the external validation set. In the latter, the model identified RV dysfunction (defined as RVEF <45%) with an accuracy of 78.4%, which was comparable to an expert reader's visual assessment (77.0%; P = 0.678). The DL-predicted RVEF values were associated with major adverse cardiac events independent of age, sex, and left ventricular systolic function (HR: 0.924 [95% CI: 0.862-0.990]; P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Using 2D echocardiographic videos alone, the proposed DL-based tool can accurately assess RV function, with similar diagnostic and prognostic power as 3D imaging.

Get to the heart of pediatric kidney transplant recipients: Evaluation of left- and right ventricular mechanics by three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Kidney transplantation (KTX) markedly improves prognosis in pediatric patients with end-stage kidney failure. Still, these patients have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease due to multiple risk factors. Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography allows detailed assessment of the heart and may unveil distinct functional and morphological changes in this patient population that would be undetectable by conventional methods. Accordingly, our aim was to examine left- (LV) and right ventricular (RV) morphology and mechanics in pediatric KTX patients using 3D echocardiography. Materials and methods: Pediatric KTX recipients (n = 74) with median age 20 (14-26) years at study enrollment (43% female), were compared to 74 age and gender-matched controls. Detailed patient history was obtained. After conventional echocardiographic protocol, 3D loops were acquired and measured using commercially available software and the ReVISION Method. We measured LV and RV end-diastolic volumes indexed to body surface area (EDVi), ejection fraction (EF), and 3D LV and RV global longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential strains (GCS). Results: Both LVEDVi (67 ± 17 vs. 61 ± 9 ml/m2; p < 0.01) and RVEDVi (68 ± 18 vs. 61 ± 11 ml/m2; p < 0.01) were significantly higher in KTX patients. LVEF was comparable between the two groups (60 ± 6 vs. 61 ± 4%; p = NS), however, LVGLS was significantly lower (-20.5 ± 3.0 vs. -22.0 ± 1.7%; p < 0.001), while LVGCS did not differ (-29.7 ± 4.3 vs. -28.6 ± 10.0%; p = NS). RVEF (59 ± 6 vs. 61 ± 4%; p < 0.05) and RVGLS (-22.8 ± 3.7 vs. -24.1 ± 3.3%; p < 0.05) were significantly lower, however, RVGCS was comparable between the two groups (-23.7 ± 4.5 vs. -24.8 ± 4.4%; p = NS). In patients requiring dialysis prior to KTX (n = 64, 86%) RVGCS showed correlation with the length of dialysis (r = 0.32, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Pediatric KTX patients demonstrate changes in both LV and RV morphology and mechanics. Moreover, the length of dialysis correlated with the contraction pattern of the right ventricle.

Long-term outcome of cardiac resynchronization therapy patients in the elderly.

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of mortality and hospitalization in the elderly. However, data are scarce about their response to device treatment such as cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We aimed to evaluate the age-related differences in the effectiveness of CRT, procedure-related complications, and long-term outcome. Between 2000 and 2020, 2656 patients undergoing CRT implantation were registered and analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to their age: group I, < 65; group II, 65-75; and group III, > 75 years. The primary endpoint was the echocardiographic response defined as a relative increase > 15% in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) within 6 months, and the secondary endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality, heart transplantation, or left ventricular assist device implantation. Procedure-related complications were also assessed. After implantation, LVEF showed significant improvement both in the total cohort [28% (IQR 24/33) vs. 35% (IQR 28/40); p < 0.01)] and in each subgroup (27% vs. 34%; p < 0.01, 29% vs. 35%; p < 0.01, 30% vs. 35%; p < 0.01). Response rate was similar in the 3 groups (64% vs. 62% vs. 56%; p = 0.41). During the follow-up, 1574 (59%) patients died. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed a significantly lower survival rate in the older groups (log-rank p < 0.001). The cumulative complication rates were similar among the three age groups (27% vs. 28% vs. 24%; p = 0.15). Our results demonstrate that CRT is as effective and safe therapy in the elderly as for young ones. The present data suggest that patients with appropriate indications benefit from CRT in the long term, regardless of age.

Cardiopulmonary examinations of athletes returning to high-intensity sport activity following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

After SARS-CoV-2 infection, strict recommendations for return-to-sport were published. However, data are insufficient about the long-term effects on athletic performance. After suffering SARS-CoV-2 infection, and returning to maximal-intensity trainings, control examinations were performed with vita-maxima cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). From various sports, 165 asymptomatic elite athletes (male: 122, age: 20y (IQR: 17-24y), training:16 h/w (IQR: 12-20 h/w), follow-up:93.5 days (IQR: 66.8-130.0 days) were examined. During CPET examinations, athletes achieved 94.7 ± 4.3% of maximal heart rate, 50.9 ± 6.0 mL/kg/min maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), and 143.7 ± 30.4L/min maximal ventilation. Exercise induced arrhythmias (n = 7), significant horizontal/descending ST-depression (n = 3), ischemic heart disease (n = 1), hypertension (n = 7), slightly elevated pulmonary pressure (n = 2), and training-related hs-Troponin-T increase (n = 1) were revealed. Self-controlled CPET comparisons were performed in 62 athletes: due to intensive re-building training, exercise time, V̇O2max and ventilation increased compared to pre-COVID-19 results. However, exercise capacity decreased in 6 athletes. Further 18 athletes with ongoing minor long post-COVID symptoms, pathological ECG (ischemic ST-T changes, and arrhythmias) or laboratory findings (hsTroponin-T elevation) were controlled. Previous SARS-CoV-2-related myocarditis (n = 1), ischaemic heart disease (n = 1), anomalous coronary artery origin (n = 1), significant ventricular (n = 2) or atrial (n = 1) arrhythmias were diagnosed. Three months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, most of the athletes had satisfactory fitness levels. Some cases with SARS-CoV-2 related or not related pathologies requiring further examinations, treatment, or follow-up were revealed.

Effect of single ventricular premature contractions on response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

BACKGROUND: We lack data on the effect of single premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) on the clinical and echocardiographic response after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation. We aimed to assess the predictive value of PVCs at early, 1 month-follow up on echocardiographic response and all-cause mortality. METHODS: In our prospective, single-center study, 125 heart failure patients underwent CRT implantation based on the current guidelines. Echocardiographic reverse remodeling was defined as a ≥ 15% improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-systolic volume (LVESV), or left atrial volume (LAV) measured 6 months after CRT implantation. All-cause mortality was investigated by Wilcoxon analysis. RESULTS: The median number of PVCs was 11,401 in those 67 patients who attended the 1-month follow-up. Regarding echocardiographic endpoints, patients with less PVCs develop significantly larger LAV reverse remodeling compared to those with high number of PVCs. During the mean follow-up time of 2.1 years, 26 (21%) patients died. Patients with a higher number of PVCs than our median cut-off value showed a higher risk of early all-cause mortality (HR 0.97; 95% CI 0.38-2.48; P = 0.04). However, when patients were followed up to 9 years, its significance diminished (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.42-1.46; P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing CRT implantation, lower number of PVCs predicted atrial remodeling and showed a trend for a better mortality outcome. Our results suggest the importance of the early assessment of PVCs in cardiac resynchronization therapy and warrant further investigations.

Impact of Right Ventricular Trabeculation on Right Ventricular Function in Patients With Left Ventricular Non-compaction Phenotype.

Right ventricular (RV) involvement in left ventricular (LV) non-compaction (LVNC) remains unknown. We aimed to describe the RV volumetric, functional, and strain characteristics and clinical features of patients with LVNC phenotype and good LV ejection fraction (EF) using cardiac magnetic resonance to characterize RV trabeculation in LVNC and to study the relationships of RV and LV trabeculation with RV volume and function. This retrospective study included 100 Caucasian patients with LVNC phenotype and good LV-EF and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Patients were further divided into two subgroups according to RV indexed trabecular mass [RV-TMi; patients with RV hypertrabeculation (RV-HT) vs. patients with normal RV trabeculation (RV-NT)]. We measured the LV and RV volumetric, functional, and TMi values using threshold-based postprocessing software and the RV and LV strain values using feature tracking and collected the patients' LVNC-related clinical features. Patients had higher RV volumes, lower RV-EF, and worse RV strain values than controls. A total of 22% of patients had RV-TMi values above the reference range; furthermore, RV-HT patients had higher RV and LV volumes, lower RV- and LV-EF, and worse RV strain values than RV-NT patients. We identified a strong positive correlation between RV- and LV-TMi and between RV-TMi and RV volumes and a significant inverse relationship of both RV- and LV-TMi with RV function. The prevalence of LVNC-related clinical features was similar in the RV-HT and RV-NT groups. These results suggest that some patients with LVNC phenotype might have RV non-compaction with subclinical RV dysfunction and without more severe clinical features.

Assessment of Right Ventricular Mechanics by 3D Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Early Phase of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Aim: To compare global and axial right ventricular ejection fraction in ventilated patients for moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to early SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia or to other causes, and in ventilated patients without ARDS used as reference. Methods: Retrospective single-center cross-sectional study including 64 ventilated patients: 21 with ARDS related to SARS-CoV-2 (group 1), 22 with ARDS unrelated to SARS-CoV-2 (group 2), and 21 without ARDS (control group). Real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography was performed for hemodynamic assessment within 24 h after admission. Contraction pattern of the right ventricle was decomposed along the three anatomically relevant axes. Relative contribution of each spatial axis was evaluated by calculating ejection fraction along each axis divided by the global right ventricular ejection fraction. Results: Global right ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in group 2 than in both group 1 and controls [median: 43% (25-75th percentiles: 40-57) vs. 58% (55-62) and 65% (56-68), respectively: p < 0.001]. Longitudinal shortening had a similar relative contribution to global right ventricular ejection fraction in all groups [group 1: 32% (28-39), group 2: 29% (24-40), control group: 31% (28-38), p = 0.6]. Radial shortening was lower in group 2 when compared to both group 1 and controls [45% (40-53) vs. 57% (51-62) and 56% (50-60), respectively: p = 0.005]. The relative contribution of right ventricular shortening along the anteroposterior axis was not statistically different between groups [group 1: 51% (41-55), group 2: 56% (46-63), control group; 56% (50-64), p = 0.076]. Conclusion: During early hemodynamic assessment, the right ventricular systolic function appears more impaired in ARDS unrelated to SARS-CoV-2 when compared to early stage SARS-CoV-2 ARDS. Radial shortening appears more involved than longitudinal and anteroposterior shortening in patients with ARDS unrelated to SARS-CoV-2 and decreased right ventricular ejection fraction.

Prognostic Value of Right Ventricular Strains Using Novel Three-Dimensional Analytical Software in Patients With Cardiac Disease.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) three-dimensional (3D) strains can be measured using novel 3D RV analytical software (ReVISION). Our objective was to investigate the prognostic value of RV 3D strains. Methods: We retrospectively selected patients who underwent both 3D echocardiography (3DE) and cardiac magnetic resonance from January 2014 to October 2020. 3DE datasets were analyzed with 3D speckle tracking software and the ReVISION software. The primary end point was a composite of cardiac events, including cardiac death, heart failure hospitalization, or ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Results: 341 patients were included in this analysis. During a median of 20 months of follow-up, 49 patients reached a composite of cardiac events. In univariate analysis, 3D RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and three 3D strain values [RV global circumferential strain (3D RVGCS), RV global longitudinal strain (3D RVGLS), and RV global area strain (3D RVGAS)] were significantly associated with cardiac death, ventricular tachyarrhythmia, or heart failure hospitalization (Hazard ratio: 0.88 to 0.93, p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that 3D RVEF, three 3D strain values were significantly associated with cardiac events after adjusting for age, chronic kidney disease, and left ventricular systolic/diastolic parameters. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that 3D RVEF of 45% and median values of 3D RVGCS, 3D RVGLS, and 3D RVGAS stratified a higher risk for survival rates. Classification and regression tree analysis, including 22 clinical and echocardiographic parameters, selected 3D RVEF (cut-off value: 34.5%) first, followed by diastolic blood pressure (cut-off value: 53 mmHg) and 3D RVGAS (cut-off value: 32.4%) for stratifying two high-risk group, one intermediate-risk group, and one low-risk group. Conclusions: RV 3D strain had an equivalent prognostic value compared with 3D RVEF. Combining these parameters with 3D RVEF may allow more detailed stratification of patient's prognosis in a wide array of cardiac diseases.

The Prognostic Value of Anemia in Patients with Preserved, Mildly Reduced and Recovered Ejection Fraction.

Data on the relevance of anemia in heart failure (HF) patients with an ejection fraction (EF) > 40% by subgroup-preserved (HFpEF), mildly reduced (HFmrEF) and the newly defined recovered EF (HFrecEF)-are scarce. Patients with HF symptoms, elevated NT-proBNP, EF ≥ 40% and structural abnormalities were registered in the HFpEF-HFmrEF database. We described the outcome of our HFpEF-HFmrEF cohort by the presence of anemia. Additionally, HFrecEF patients were also selected from HFrEF patients who underwent resynchronization and, as responders, reached 40% EF. Using propensity score matching (PSM), 75 pairs from the HFpEF-HFmrEF and HFrecEF groups were matched by their clinical features. After PMS, we compared the survival of the HFpEF-HFmrEF and HFrecEF groups. Log-rank, uni-and multivariate regression analyses were performed. From 375 HFpEF-HFmrEF patients, 42 (11%) died during the median follow-up time of 1.4 years. Anemia (HR 2.77; 95%CI 1.47-5.23; p < 0.01) was one of the strongest mortality predictors, which was also confirmed by the multivariate analysis (aHR 2.33; 95%CI 1.21-4.52; p = 0.01). Through PSM, the outcomes for HFpEF-HFmrEF and HFrecEF patients with anemia were poor, exhibiting no significant difference. In HFpEF-HFmrEF, anemia was an independent mortality predictor. Its presence multiplied the mortality risk in those with EF ≥ 40%, regardless of HF etiology.

Biventricular mechanical pattern of the athlete's heart: comprehensive characterization using three-dimensional echocardiography.

AIMS: While left ventricular (LV) adaptation to regular, intense exercise has been thoroughly studied, data concerning the right ventricular (RV) mechanical changes and their continuum with athletic performance are scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize biventricular morphology and function and their relation to sex, age, and sports classes in a large cohort of elite athletes using three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography. METHODS AND RESULTS: Elite, competitive athletes (n = 422) and healthy, sedentary volunteers (n = 55) were enrolled. Left ventricular and RV end-diastolic volumes (EDVi) and ejection fractions (EFs) were measured. To characterize biventricular mechanics, LV and RV global longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential strains (GCS) were quantified. All subjects underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2/kg). Athletes had significantly higher LV and RV EDVi compared with controls (athletes vs. controls; LV EDVi: 81 ± 13 vs. 62 ± 11 mL/m2, RV EDVi: 82 ± 14 vs. 63 ± 11 mL/m2; P < 0.001). Concerning biventricular systolic function, athletes had significantly lower resting LV and RV EF (LV EF: 57 ± 4 vs. 61 ± 5%; RV EF: 55 ± 5 vs. 59 ± 5%; P < 0.001). The exercise-induced relative decrease in LV GLS (9.5 ± 10.7%) and LV GCS (10.7 ± 9.8%) was similar; however, the decrement in RV GCS (14.8 ± 17.8%) was disproportionately larger compared with RV GLS (1.7 ± 15.4%, P < 0.01). Right ventricular EDVi was found to be the strongest independent predictor of VO2/kg by multivariable linear regression. CONCLUSION: Resting LV mechanics of the athlete's heart is characterized by a balanced decrement in GLS and GCS; however, RV GCS decreases disproportionately compared with RV GLS. Moreover, this mechanical pattern is associated with better exercise capacity.

Subclinical cardiac dysfunction in pediatric kidney transplant recipients identified by speckle-tracking echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation (KTx) improves prognosis in children with kidney failure; still, these patients are prone to cardiovascular damage due to multiple risk factors. Our aim was to assess myocardial structure and function in pediatric KTx by conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in association with established cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: Forty-two KTx and 39 healthy age- and gender-matched children were evaluated. KTx recipients were further categorized according to the control of hypertension assessed by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Subjects underwent pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement, conventional echocardiography, and 2-dimensional STE. Left and right ventricular (LV, RV) global longitudinal strain (GLS), and LV circumferential strain (GCS) were measured. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated according to the Schwartz formula. RESULTS: KTx patients had increased blood pressure and arterial stiffness. LV ejection fraction (EF) was preserved along with elevated LV mass index (LVMi) while LVGLS was significantly lower, whereas LVGCS and RVGLS were increased in KTx. Uncontrolled hypertensives had lower LVGLS compared to those with controlled hypertension. Using multiple forward stepwise regression analysis, 24-h SBP and relative wall thickness (RWT) were independent determinants of LVMi, whereas antihypertensive therapy, eGFR, and HOMA-IR were independent determinants of LVGLS. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac morphology and function show distinct changes after KTx. Along with comparable ventricular volumes, LV hypertrophy and subclinical myocardial dysfunction are present. Control of hypertension and kidney graft function are major factors of LV performance. STE may be useful to reveal early myocardial dysfunction in pediatric KTx. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Is cardiac involvement prevalent in highly trained athletes after SARS-CoV-2 infection? A cardiac magnetic resonance study using sex-matched and age-matched controls.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the cardiovascular consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in highly trained, otherwise healthy athletes using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and to compare our results with sex-matched and age-matched athletes and less active controls. METHODS: SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed by PCR on swab tests or serum immunoglobulin G antibody tests prior to a comprehensive CMR examination. The CMR protocol contained sequences to assess structural, functional and tissue-specific data. RESULTS: One hundred forty-seven athletes (94 male, median 23, IQR 20-28 years) after SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. Overall, 4.7% (n=7) of the athletes had alterations in their CMR as follows: late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) showing a non-ischaemic pattern with or without T2 elevation (n=3), slightly elevated native T1 values with or without elevated T2 values without pathological LGE (n=3) and pericardial involvement (n=1). Only two (1.4%) athletes presented with definite signs of myocarditis. We found pronounced sport adaptation in both athletes after SARS-CoV-2 infection and athlete controls. There was no difference between CMR parameters, including native T1 and T2 mapping, between athletes after SARS-CoV-2 infection and the matched athletic groups. Comparing athletes with different symptom severities showed that athletes with moderate symptoms had slightly greater T1 values than athletes with asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic infections (p<0.05). However, T1 mapping values remained below the cut-off point for most patients. CONCLUSION: Among 147 highly trained athletes after SARS-CoV-2 infection, cardiac involvement on CMR showed a modest frequency (4.7%), with definite signs of myocarditis present in only 1.4%. Comparing athletes after SARS-CoV-2 infection and healthy sex-matched and age-matched athletes showed no difference between CMR parameters, including native T1 and T2 values.

Novel insights into the athlete's heart: is myocardial work the new champion of systolic function?

AIMS: We sought to investigate the correlation between speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE)-derived myocardial work (MW) and invasively measured contractility in a rat model of athlete's heart. We also assessed MW in elite athletes and explored its association with cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)-derived aerobic capacity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixteen rats underwent a 12-week swim training program and were compared to controls (n = 16). STE was performed to assess global longitudinal strain (GLS), which was followed by invasive pressure-volume analysis to measure contractility [slope of end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR)]. Global MW index (GMWI) was calculated from GLS curves and left ventricular (LV) pressure recordings. In the human investigations, 20 elite swimmers and 20 healthy sedentary controls were enrolled. GMWI was calculated through the simultaneous evaluation of GLS and non-invasively approximated LV pressure curves at rest. All subjects underwent CPET to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2/kg). Exercised rats exhibited higher values of GLS, GMWI, and ESPVR than controls (-20.9 ± 1.7 vs. -17.6 ± 1.9%, 2745 ± 280 vs. 2119 ± 272 mmHg·%, 3.72 ± 0.72 vs. 2.61 ± 0.40 mmHg/µL, all PExercise < 0.001). GMWI correlated robustly with ESPVR (r = 0.764, P < 0.001). In humans, regular exercise training was associated with decreased GLS (-17.6 ± 1.5 vs. -18.8 ± 0.9%, PExercise = 0.002) but increased values of GMWI at rest (1899 ± 136 vs. 1755 ± 234 mmHg·%, PExercise = 0.025). GMWI exhibited a positive correlation with VO2/kg (r = 0.527, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: GMWI precisely reflected LV contractility in a rat model of exercise-induced LV hypertrophy and captured the supernormal systolic performance in human athletes even at rest. Our findings endorse the utilization of MW analysis in the evaluation of the athlete's heart.

Contraction patterns of the systemic right ventricle: a three-dimensional echocardiography study.

AIMS: To investigate contraction patterns of the systemic right ventricle (SRV) in patients with transposition of great arteries (TGA) post-atrial switch operation and with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries (ccTGA). METHODS AND RESULTS: Right ventricular (RV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF) were measured by three-dimensional echocardiography in 38 patients with the SRV (24 TGA and 14 ccTGA; mean age 45 ± 12 years, 63% male), and in 38 healthy volunteers. The RV contraction was decomposed along the longitudinal, radial, and anteroposterior directions providing longitudinal, radial, and anteroposterior EF (LEF, REF, and AEF, respectively) and their contributions to total right ventricular ejection fraction (LEFi, REFi, and AEFi, respectvely). SRV was significantly larger with lower systolic function compared with healthy controls. SRV EF and four-chamber longitudinal strain strongly correlated with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level (Rho -0.73, P < 0.0001 and 0.70, P < 0.0001, respectively). In patients with TGA, anteroposterior component was significantly higher than longitudinal and radial components (AEF 17 ± 4.5% vs. REF 13 ± 4.9% vs. LEF 10 ± 3.3%, P < 0.0001; AEFi 0.48 ± 0.09 vs. REFi 0.38 ± 0.1 vs. LEFi 0.29 ± 0.08, P < 0.0001). In patients with ccTGA, there was no significant difference between three SRV components. AEFi was significantly higher in TGA subgroup compared with ccTGA (0.48 ± 0.09 vs. 0.36 ± 0.08, P = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: Contraction patterns of the SRV are different in TGA and ccTGA. Anteroposterior component is dominant in TGA providing compensation for impaired longitudinal and radial components, while in ccTGA all components contribute equally to the total EF. SRV EF and longitudinal strain demonstrate strong correlation with BNP level and should be a part of routine echocardiographic assessment of the SRV.

Contraction Patterns of the Right Ventricle Associated with Different Degrees of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The functional adaptation of the right ventricle (RV) to the different degrees of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction remains to be clarified. We sought to (1) assess the changes in RV contraction pattern associated with the reduction of LV ejection fraction (EF) and (2) analyze whether the assessment of RV longitudinal, radial, and anteroposterior motion components of total RVEF adds prognostic value. METHODS: Consecutive patients with left-sided heart disease who underwent clinically indicated transthoracic echocardiography were enrolled in a single-center prospective observational study. Adverse outcome was defined as heart failure hospitalization or cardiac death. Cross-sectional analysis using the baseline 3-dimensional echocardiography studies was performed to quantify the relative contribution of the longitudinal, radial, and anteroposterior motion components to total RVEF. RESULTS: We studied 292 patients and followed them for 6.7±2.2 years. In patients with mildly and moderately reduced LVEF, the longitudinal and the anteroposterior components of RVEF decreased significantly, while the radial component increased resulting in preserved total RVEF (RVEF: 50% [46%-54%] versus 47% [44%-52%] versus 46% [42%-49%] in patients with no, mild, or moderate LV dysfunction, respectively; data presented as median and interquartile range). In patients with severe LV systolic dysfunction (n=34), a reduction in all 3 RV motion components led to a significant drop in RVEF (30% [25%-39%], P<0.001). In patients with normal RVEF (>45%), the anteroposterior component of total RVEF was a significant and independent predictor of outcome (hazard ratio, 0.960 [CI, 0.925-0.997], P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with left-sided heart disease, there is a significant remodeling of the RV associated with preservation of the RVEF in patients with mild or moderate LV dysfunction. In patients with normal RVEF, the measurement of the anteroposterior component of RV motion provided independent prognostic value.

Anteroposterior Contraction of the Systemic Right Ventricle: Underrecognized Component of the Global Systolic Function.

Accurate echocardiographic evaluation of the systemic right ventricle is challenging because of its specific morphology and contraction patterns. We present a detailed multimodality assessment of the systemic right ventricle, analyze the relative contribution of the longitudinal, radial, and anteroposterior components of systolic function, and identify reasons for a potential discrepancy among imaging modalities. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).