Longitudinal strain measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography to evaluate left ventricular function in patients with myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery

Echocardiographic Parameters Predict Short- and Long-Term Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Objective

This study aimed to find echocardiographic parameters that can predict short- and long-term adverse cardiovascular events in patients with AMI.

Methods

A total of 126 patients with AMI admitted to our hospital from July to December 2012 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent echocardiographic examination within 12 hours after admission and received regular follow-ups until December 2018. The primary endpoint was a composite of the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs).

Results

In the first year of this study, a primary endpoint occurred in 35 patients and the predictor derived from the echocardiography of 1-year primary endpoint was LVEF<40% (OR: 9.000, 95% CI 3.242-24.987, p<0.0001) and the area under the curve (AUC) for the predictor was 0.676 (95% CI 0.561-0.790, p=0.002). For the total 5 years, 57 patients underwent primary endpoint. The results of the 5-year primary endpoint were: E/E'>15 (OR: 4.094, 95% CI 1.726-9.710, P=0.001), the wall motion score index was (WMSI)>1.5 (OR: 12.791, 95% CI 1.511-108.312, P=0.019), and the AUC was 0.691 (95% CI 0.595-0.787 P<0.0001).

Conclusion

LVEF is correlated with a short-term outcome (1-year), and WMSI and E/E' can predict a long-term outcome (5-year) in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Echocardiographic changes and quality of life after surgical unroofing of myocardial bridges

OBJECTIVE

To examine the echocardiographic changes and quality of life (QoL) after surgical unroofing of myocardial bridges (MBs) involving the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery compared with optimal medical therapy (OMT).

METHODS

Twenty-two patients (median age, 24 years; interquartile range, 16-40 years) with MBs of the LAD artery and exertional angina from 2018 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Twelve patients underwent OMT and 10 underwent surgery. Both groups underwent clinical and echocardiographic examinations during hospitalization and follow-up (mean, 1.0 ± 0.8 years). QoL was assessed with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, short version (SAQ-7).

RESULTS

Surgery resulted in significantly better QoL than OMT, with a significant improvement in left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) [mean (standard error): 19% (0.19) to 22% (0.34) and 19% (0.15) to 20% (0.24), respectively; delta-change (delta-GLS) of 0.15 vs. 0.067]. In the univariate and multivariable analyses, delta-GLS was positively correlated with the SAQ-7 score and MB length (rho = 0.64 and 0.71, respectively), with a significant interaction between MB length and surgical treatment (beta coefficient, 1.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-3.77).

CONCLUSIONS

MB unroofing surgery provided benefits in terms of QoL and left ventricular GLS improvement compared with 1 year of OMT.