Identification of the main determinants of abdominal aorta size: a screening by Pocket Size Imaging Device.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound exam as a screening test for abdominal aorta (AA) can visualize the aorta in 99% of patients and has a sensitivity and specificity approaching 100% in screening settings for aortic aneurysm. Pocket Size Imaging Device (PSID) has a potential value as a screening tool, because of its possible use in several clinical settings. Our aim was to assess the impact of demographics and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors on AA size by using PSID in an outpatient screening. METHODS: Consecutive patients, referring for a CV assessment in a 6 months period, were screened. AA was visualized by subcostal view in longitudinal and transverse plans in order to determine the greatest anterior-posterior diameter. After excluding 5 patients with AA aneurysm, 508 outpatients were enrolled. All patients underwent a sequential assessment including clinical history with collection of CV risk factors, physical examination, PSID exam and standard Doppler echoc exam using a 2.5 transducer with harmonic capability, both by expert ultrasound operators, during the same morning. Standard echocardiography operators were blinded on PSID exam and viceversa. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy of AA size by PSID was tested successfully with standard echo machine in a subgroup (n = 102) (rho = 0.966, p < 0.0001). AA diameter was larger in men than in women and in ≥50 -years old subjects than in those <50 -years old (both p < 0.0001). AA was larger in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (p < 0.0001). By a multivariate model, male sex (p < 0.0001), age and body mass index (both p < 0.0001), CAD (p < 0.01) and heart rate (p = 0.018) were independent predictors of AA size (cumulative R 2 = 0.184, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: PSID is a reliable tool for the screening of determinants of AA size. AA diameter is greater in men and strongly influenced by aging and overweight. CAD may be also associated to increased AA diameter.

Myocardial deformation in pediatric patients with mucopolysaccharidoses: A two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography study.

BACKGROUND: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are inherited lysosomal storage disorders caused by deficiency of required glycosaminoglycans breakdown enzymes, inducing cardiac involvement. Little is known about myocardial deformation involvement in MPS. Our aim was to assess biventricular structure and function in asymptomatic children with MPS using standard echo Doppler and 2D speckle tracking (STE). METHODS: Fifteen MPS children (one type I, six type II, three type III A, one III B, three IV A, one VI), asymptomatic for cardiac symptoms, and 15 age and sex-matched healthy controls underwent echo Doppler and STE. Left ventricular (LV) wall thicknesses, diameters, and mass were normalized by z-score. LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS) at papillary muscles, LV twisting, and right ventricular (RV) GLS were measured. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable for body mass index, heart rate, and blood pressure. LV mass index and relative wall thickness were higher in MPS. Ejection fraction (EF), and s' velocity did not differ between the two groups. E/A ratio was lower and E/e' higher in MPS. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, RV s' and e' were lower in MPS. LV GLS did not differ between the two groups, but GCS (P=.014), GRS (P=.023), twisting (P=.012), and RV GLS (P<.001) were lower in the MPS group. CONCLUSIONS: LV strain abnormalities are detectable in MPS pediatric patients, independently of MPS type, when EF is still normal. RV GLS is also involved consensually with TAPSE reduction. STE can be useful for detection of subclinical myocardial damage in MPS.

Longitudinal strain of left ventricular basal segments and E/e' ratio differentiate primary cardiac amyloidosis at presentation from hypertensive hypertrophy: an automated function imaging study.

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal strain is an early marker of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in several cardiac diseases. Our aim was to differentiate cardiac amyloidosis (CA) at diagnosis from hypertensive LV hypertrophy (LVH) by analysis of longitudinal myocardial deformation. METHODS: Thirty healthy controls (C), 30 newly diagnosed, never treated hypertensives with LVH (H-LVH), and 33 patients with CA at diagnosis underwent echo Doppler including speckle tracking-based automated function imaging (AFI). Averaged peak systolic global longitudinal strain (GLS, 18 segments) and basal, middle, and apical longitudinal strain (BLS, MLS, and ALS, respectively, six segments each) were calculated. RESULTS: Left ventricular mass index, relative wall thickness, and ejection fraction did not differ between H-LVH and CA. E/e' ratio was higher in CA than in H-LVH (P<.001) and C (P<.0001). GLS was lower in CA than in C (P<.0001), without difference with H-LVH. ALS did not differ among the three groups, MLS was significantly lower in both CA and H-LVH than in C but BLS was lower in CA compared to both H-LVH and C (both P<.0001). In the pooled population, E/e' was independently associated with BLS (ß=-0.54, P<.0001). At receiver operating curve analysis, CA was predicted by BLS≤-11.3% (sensitivity=63.3%, specificity=100%) and E/e'≥12.3 (sensitivity=69.7%, specificity=83.3%). The best AUC (=0.819) was obtained by the combination E/e'+BLS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight a real difference of E/e' ratio and longitudinal strain of LV basal segments between hypertensive LVH and CA, which could be used to differentiate the two diseases.

Early markers of right heart involvement in regular smokers by Pocket Size Imaging Device.

PURPOSE: To test the diagnostic power of Pocket Size Imaging Device (PSID) in detecting early signs of right heart (RH) involvement in regular smokers (RS) free of overt cardiac involvement. METHODS: One-hundred-forty-three regular smokers and 51 healthy controls, comparable for age and sex, underwent physical exam (PE), PSID exam and standard echocardiography. Based on a simplified Boston score, ≥1 of clinical signs (jugular venous distension, hepatomegaly, peripheral pitting oedema and abnormal pulmonary sounds) were considered indicative of RH involvement. A composite score (1 to 4) obtained by summing the points of four quantitative RH abnormalities detectable by PSID (inferior vena cava [IVC] dilatation, reduced IVC respiratory variation, right ventricular dilatation and right atrial dilatation), was generated and ≥1 of PSID abnormal signs was considered indicative of RH involvement. RESULTS: Boston score was not significantly different between the two groups. By using PSID, smokers exhibited greater IVC diameter (p < 0.0001), right atrial diameter (p < 0.002) and higher PSID score (p < 0.005) than controls. Compared to PE, the additional diagnostic power of PSID (≥1 abnormal sign of both Boston and PSID score) was 44.9% in smokers. By dividing smokers in tertiles according to number of cigarettes per day, the third tertile showed the largest values of both IVC and right atrial dimension. Differences were confirmed by standard echocardiography. Reproducibility of PSID measurements and concordance of linear measurements between PSID and standard echo measurements was very good except for concordance of right ventricular basal diameter. CONCLUSIONS: PSID detects early ultrasound signs of RH involvement in regular otherwise healthy smokers in comparison with PE.

Nonsymmetric myocardial contribution to supranormal right ventricular function in the athlete's heart: combined assessment by speckle tracking and real time three-dimensional echocardiography.

PURPOSE: To investigate determinants of right ventricular (RV) function in competitive athletes by a combined assessment of speckle tracking (STE) and real time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE). METHODS: Right ventricular function of 40 top-level rowers was compared to 43 sedentary normal controls by standard Doppler echocardiography, RT3DE, and STE. RV diameters and wall thickness, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid E/A ratio, and pulsed tissue Doppler of lateral tricuspid annulus were analyzed. RV volumes, ejection fraction (EF), and stroke volume (SV) were determined. RV global longitudinal strain (GLS) (average of 6 regions), septal strain (average of 3 septal regions, septal longitudinal strain [SLS]), and lateral strain (average of 3 lateral regions, lateral longitudinal strain [LLS]) were estimated by STE. RESULTS: The 2 groups were comparable for age, body mass index, and blood pressure, but heart rate was lower in rowers. RV diameters were larger and TAPSE, tricuspid E/A ratio, and tissue Doppler-derived s' and e' velocities were higher in rowers. By RT3DE, RV end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume were greater in rowers (both P < 0.0001), without difference in EF. GLS (P < 0.005) and LLS (P < 0.001), but not SLS, were greater in rowers. In pooled groups, LLS was related to EDV and SV, even after adjusting for heart rate, body mass index, and RV wall thickness by separate multiple linear regression analyses (ß coefficient = 0.247, P < 0.01 and ß = 0.225, P < 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricular preload exerts its maximal influence on the longitudinal lateral fibers, which is independent on potential confounders and largely induces RV supranormal function in the athlete's heart.

Three-dimensional echocardiographic ventricular mass/end-diastolic volume ratio in native hypertensive patients: relation between stroke volume and geometry.

BACKGROUND: Elevated left ventricular (LV) mass/end-diastolic volume ratio (LVM/EDV) has been associated with higher evidence of myocardial fibrosis and dysfunction in hypertensive patients by cardiac magnetic resonance, a technique with limited availability. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the ability of three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography in identifying a phenotype of LV concentric geometry according to LVM/EDV ratio, possibly detecting early myocardial damage in native-hypertensive patients. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-eight native-hypertensive patients underwent 2D and 3D-echocardiography. The population was divided into two groups, according to cut-off point values of 3D-LVM/EDV ratio corresponding to its upper 95% confidence interval in a population of 90 healthy normotensive individuals: LVM/EDV ratio cut-off was 1.22 in men and 1.23 in women. RESULTS: An increased 3D-LVM/EDV ratio identified a higher rate of LV concentric geometry in comparison with 2D-derived relative wall thickness (37 versus 24%, P = 0.03). Patients with LVM/EDV ratio of 1.22 or more in men and 1.23 or more in women were significantly older, had smaller 3D-LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes and higher LV mass index, without difference in ejection fraction. 3D-stroke volume (P < 0.0001) was lower in patients with elevated LVM/EDV ratio. By a multilinear regression analysis, after adjusting for sex, age, heart rate, mean blood pressure and BMI, stroke volume was independently and negatively associated to LVM/EDV ratio (ß = -0.55, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In native hypertensive patients, 3D-echo-derived LVM/EDV ratio identifies a higher prevalence of LV concentric geometry than 2D-relative wall thickness. Stroke volume is independently and negatively associated with LVM/EDV ratio and its reduction represents an early marker of myocardial dysfunction in hypertensives with LV concentric geometry.

Resolution of angina pectoris and improvement of the coronary flow reserve after ranolazine treatment in a woman with isolated impaired coronary microcirculation.

In a 61-year-old woman with well controlled arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoke and suffering from recurrent angina pectoris despite angiographically normal epicardial coronary vessels and maximal therapy, the replacement of nitrates with novel antiangina drug ranolazine, after 6-month therapy, induced a complete relief of angina and a relevant rising of the transthoracic Doppler-derived coronary flow reserve (CFR). The present clinical case underlines therefore how in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease without epicardial coronary stenosis ranolazine can induce an improvement till the complete solution of the angina symptoms and a substantial increase of CFR as expression of the enhancement of the microvascular coronary function. The improvement of both symptoms and coronary microvascular function is strictly linked to the mechanism of action of the drug. Ranolazine induces in fact a reduction of the intracellular late sodium current that leads to a reduction of the intracellular calcium concentration thus producing a better myocardial diastolic relaxation process which in its turns enhances the myocardial perfusion. The ranolazine acts therefore as a lusitropic drug that improves the diastolic dysfunction and the segmental ischemia thus affecting one of the first steps of the ischemic cascade.

Site-dependency of the E/e' ratio in predicting invasive left ventricular filling pressure in patients with suspected or ascertained coronary artery disease.

PURPOSE: To test the accuracy of different mitral annular sites of the E/e' ratio in predicting invasive left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) in patients hospitalized for coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Forty-one patients with suspected or ascertained chronic CAD underwent non-invasive estimation of LVFP the same day as coronary angiography combined with right catheterization for pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) assessment. The ratio between E velocity and early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (e') was calculated as a surrogate of PWCP by (i) averaging septal and lateral e' (E/e'A2); (ii) averaging septal, lateral, inferior, anterior (E/e'A4); (iii) using the sole septal (E/e'S); or (iv) lateral annulus (E/e'L). Patients were divided in two groups according to the PCWP: 25 with the PCWP <18 mmHg and 16 with the PCWP ≥ 18 mmHg. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable for gender, body mass index, blood pressure, heart rate (HR), E/A ratio, and deceleration time. The ejection fraction (EF) was lower and left atrial volume index (LAVi) greater (both P < 0.02) in patients with the PCWP ≥ 18 mmHg. They also exhibited higher E/e'S (P < 0.05), E/e'L (P < 0.0001), E/e'A2, and E/e'A4 (both P < 0.005) than patients with the PCWP <18 mmHg. In pooled groups, after adjusting for HR EF and LAVi, E/e'L (ß = 0.42, P < 0.01), E/e'A2 (ß = 0.32, P < 0.05), and E/e'A4 (ß = 0.31, P < 0.05) were all independently associated with PWCP. E/e'L ≥ 16.2 predicted PCWP ≥18 mmHg with the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.826), sensitivity (81.3%), and specificity (80%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CAD, E/e'L is the most accurate parameter in predicting abnormally increased LVFP.

Correlates of global area strain in native hypertensive patients: a three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography study.

AIMS: The present study aimed to test the capability of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in characterizing early abnormalities of left ventricular (LV) structure and function in native, untreated hypertensive patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-eight newly diagnosed, never-treated hypertensives (H) and 38 healthy controls (C) underwent both standard echo-Doppler and RT3DE assessment. LV volumes and ejection fraction (EF), sphericity index, LV mass index (LVMi), global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global area strain (GAS), and global radial strain (GRS) were calculated by RT3DE. The two groups were comparable for age and heart rate. Body mass index and blood pressure (BP) were significantly higher in H. LV volumes, EF, and sphericity index calculated by RT3DE did not differ significantly between the two groups, while LVMi was higher in H than in C (P< 0.0001). GAS (-29.1 ± 2.5% in H vs. -33.6 ± 3.4% in C), GLS, and GRS (all P< 0.0001) were lower in H, but GCS was not significantly different between the two groups. Among the different 3D strain components, GAS showed the best independent associations with mean BP (ß = -0.502, P< 0.0001) and LVMi (ß = -0.385, P< 0.001; cumulative R(2) = 0.55, P< 0.0001) in the pooled population. CONCLUSION: RT3DE identifies early functional LV changes in native hypertensive patients. GAS is precociously reduced, and longitudinal and radial strain impaired, while circumferential strain is still preserved, supporting a normal LV chamber systolic function. Reduction of GAS is independently associated with both pressure overload and magnitude of the LV mass.