Impact of right ventricular contractility on left ventricular dyssynchrony in patients with chronic systolic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an important therapeutic approach for patients with symptomatic heart failure. The assessment of mechanical dyssynchrony, however, remains an issue. Little data are available regarding the influence of the right ventricle (RV) on left ventricle (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony as assessed by echocardiography. AIMS: We sought to assess the impact of RV contractility on LV function and dyssynchrony. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with congestive heart failure were analyzed. Twenty had RV dysfunction, as defined by a tricuspid annular systolic peak of tissue Doppler (SaRV)<11.5 cm/s, while the remaining 20 had SaRV>11.5 cm/s. All patients underwent echocardiography in order to determine RV function, LV function, and dyssynchrony. RESULTS: The two populations were similar regarding diastolic function, atrio-ventricular conduction and interventricular dyssynchrony. Patients with RV dysfunction showed significantly more severe LV longitudinal dyssynchrony (130±103 ms vs. 62±59 ms; p=0.01). In addition, SaRV (systolic peak recorded at the tricuspid annulus) was correlated with LV longitudinal dyssynchrony (r=0.47; p=0.001). In contrast, LV radial contractility and dyssynchrony (103±110 ms vs. 100±78 ms; p=0.5) were not affected by RV function. CONCLUSION: Quantitative analysis of RV function is important when assessing LV function and dyssynchrony in patients with systolic heart failure. RV function is associated with intra-LV dyssynchrony, particularly when considering longitudinal function.

Left atrial function assessed by trans-thoracic echocardiography in patients treated by ablation for a lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) may induce three kinds of atrial remodelling: morphological, contractile, and electrical. Maintain of sinus rhythm is usually associated with left atrial (LA) volume decrease, but little is known about the evolution of its mechanical properties. We sought to explore LA mechanical and morphological remodelling in patients with lone paroxysmal-AF treated by catheter ablation (CA). METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively included 31 patients (56.4 ± 10 years). We also followed 15 age- and gender-matched controls to get normal values. Each patient had a complete echocardiography at baseline and at 3-month and 1-year follow-up. LA-anatomical reverse remodelling was documented: indexed LA volume decreased from 39 mL/m(2) at baseline to 31 mL/m(2) at 1 year (P < 0.001). However, it remained larger than controls (31 vs. 23 mL/m(2), P = 0.001). LA compliance improved (LA lateral systolic peaks of strain = 50 vs. 31%, P < 0.05) without reaching controls values as estimated by 50 vs. 81%, P < 0.05). LA contractility increased as highlighted by A'-peak velocity (10 cm/s at 1Y-F/up vs. 7.5 at baseline, P = 0.01) and LA late diastolic peaks of strain rate (septal: -3 vs. -1 s(-1), lateral: -3 vs. -1.4 s(-1), P < 0.05). We show a functional remodelling at 1 year, with most contractile parameters being comparable to controls, whereas LA compliance remains significantly altered. CONCLUSION: AF-CA could reverse LA anatomical and functional remodelling. Despite improvement, LA compliance remains altered after 1 year, probably reflecting irreversible fibrosis.

Left atrial reverse remodeling and cardiac resynchronization therapy for chronic heart failure patients in sinus rhythm.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), which improves left ventricular (LV) function and reverses LV remodeling, is an established therapy for advanced heart failure with prolonged QRS duration. The aim of this study was to examine whether CRT improves atrial function and induces atrial reverse remodeling. METHODS: A total of 46 patients with heart failure (mean age, 66.7 +/- 10.4 years) who underwent CRT were evaluated with echocardiography before and after 6 months of optimized CRT. Atrial function and LV function were assessed with M-mode, two-dimensional echocardiography, Doppler, tissue Doppler velocity, and strain (epsilon) imaging. LV reverse remodeling was defined as a reduction in LV end-systolic volume of >15%. RESULTS: In responders (n = 23), significant improvements in left atrial (LA) functional, structural, and anatomic remodeling were observed. Maximum LA area and volume decreased, the LA emptying fraction increased, A' increased, and LA epsilon increased from 25.6 +/- 11.0% to 42.6 +/- 10.4% (P < .05 overall). LA reverse remodeling was correlated with baseline LA volume (R = 0.45). Although the correlation was not significant (r = 0.24), LA reverse remodeling was also more frequent in patients with LV reverse remodeling. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with LV remodeling, significant LA reverse remodeling after CRT could be observed and detailed on transthoracic echocardiography.

Cardiac MRI studies of transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome (takotsubo cardiomyopathy): a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Since its first description in 1991, many cases of transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome (TLVABS) have been described, but the use of cardiac MRI in this condition is much more recent. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a systematic review of the present literature in the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for relevant case series of TLVABS (>or=5 reported original cases, MRI analysis in the acute phase) and summarized the main results in a narrative synthesis. Only 8 studies met the eligible criteria, counting 176 patients (women: 95%; age: 68, stress trigger: 80%). MRI assessed an improvement of mean left ventricular ejection fraction from 39 (in the acute phase) to 64% (in the recovery phase). A right ventricular dysfunction was reported in 38%, a myocardial oedema in 81% and an apical thrombus in 5%. CONCLUSIONS: Although cardiac MRI is a very useful and inescapable tool in the management of TLVABS, there is no large published study concerning this topic. A systematic and multicentric register of TLVABS studied by cardiac MRI is necessary.

Frequency and predictors of renal artery stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Renal artery stenosis (RAS) remains underdiagnosed because of nonspecific clinical manifestations, including in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). AIMS: To estimate the prevalence and identify predictors of RAS in patients with CAD undergoing coronary angiography. SETTING: University-based medical centre. METHODS: We enrolled 650 consecutive patients (mean age=67+/-10 years, 80% men) with confirmed CAD. All patients underwent selective renal arteriography in the same procedure. We estimated the prevalence of RAS, defined as a >50% lesion. Multiple variable analysis of factors associated with presence of RAS was carried out using a logistic regression model. Variables that emerged as predictors by single-variable analysis were included in the model, along with variables that were tentatively associated with RAS, based on a literature review. RESULTS: RAS was detected in 94 patients (14.5%, 95% CI: 11.8-17.2%), including 20 (3.1%) with bilateral lesions. By single-variable analysis and presence and number of coronary artery stenoses (P<.001), hypertension (P=.001), and creatinine clearance <90 ml/min (P<.001) were associated with an increased risk of RAS. By multiple variable analysis, male sex (P<.05), presence and number of coronary artery lesions (P<.01), hypertension (P=.001), and renal insufficiency (P<.001) predicted the presence of RAS. CONCLUSIONS: The main clinical predictors of RAS in patients with CAD were hypertension, renal insufficiency, and multivessel CAD. These observations might help defining a high-risk subgroup of patients in need of meticulous investigations of both CAD and RAS.

Mitochondriopathy: a rare aetiology of restrictive cardiomyopathy.

When diagnosing a restrictive hypertrophied cardiomyopathy, most echocardiographists consider cardiac amyloidosis as a possible cause, especially after the appearance of 'granular' sparkling echoes on a transthoracic echocardiography. However, other infiltrative diseases (i.e. metabolic myopathies, Gaucher, Hunter's, and Hurler's diseases) or storage cardiomyopathies (haemochromatosis, Fabry's disease, glycogen storage, and Niemann-Pick disease) should be considered. In this paper, we report on another unusual cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy of which all cardiologists should be aware.