During normal pregnancy, LV twist and peak untwisting rate increase in the 3rd trimester and correlate with end-systolic and end-diastolic volume, respectively. Circumferential strain of the apex and global longitudinal strain decrease from the 2nd trimester.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is related to increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to examine whether LV deformational and torsional parameters can predict LV remodeling in patients with AMI. Methods: Forty-two patients (age 57 ± 14 years) presenting with an anterior ST-elevation AMI and treated with primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) were included in the study. Four days post MI, LV ejection fraction (EF), LV torsion, longitudinal (4-, 3-& 2-chamber) and circumferential strain of the LV apex were evaluated by conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography. The echocardiographic study was repeated at 3 months post-AMI and patients with LV remodeling, i.e. an increase >15% in LV endsystolic volume (LVESV), were identified. Results: The 13 patients with LV remodeling had significantly more impaired apical circumferential strain (-7.3 ± 2.2% vs. -18.9 ± 5.2%, p=0.001), EF (42 ± 7% vs. 48.9 ± 6%, p=0.005), LV apical rotation (6.8 ± 4.8° vs. 11.1 ± 4.0°, p=0.027), and LV global longitudinal strain (-9.7 ± 1.9% vs. -12.9 ± 2.9%, p=0.03) on the 4th day post-AMI, in comparison to those without LV remodeling. Apical circumferential strain on the 4th day post-AMI showed the strongest correlation with the LVESV 3 months post-AMI (r=0.76, p=0.001), compared to EF (r=-0.60, p=0.001), global longitudinal strain (r=0.56, p=0.001), and LV apical rotation (r=-0.53, p=0.001). Furthermore, apical circumferential strain demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy: area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve 0.98, with sensitivity 100% and specificity 96% for prediction of LV remodeling, using a cutoff value <-11.0%. Conclusion:In patients with anterior AMI, LV apical circumferential strain in the early post-MI period constitutes a significant prognostic factor for LV remodeling at 3 months. Assessment of this parameter may identify patients at high risk for heart failure development.

Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibition may exert beneficiary pleiotropic effects on heart hemodynamics in hypertensive patients. We aimed to assess these effects on coronary flow reserve (CFR) and left ventricular (LV) filling pressure after acute and long-term treatment. Thirty-nine patients (48.4±6.8 years) with newly diagnosed, never-treated essential arterial hypertension were consecutively recruited from an outpatient hypertension clinic. CFR in the left anterior descending artery and the ratio of mitral inflow E wave to the averaged mitral annulus tissue velocity of the E waves (E/e' ratio), as an estimate of LV filling pressure, were assessed by Doppler echocardiography. In the acute phase of the study, consecutive eligible patients were assigned to receive po Quinapril (Q) 20 mg (n=15) or Losartan (L) 100 mg (n=14) or no treatment (n=10) and were reexamined 2 h post treatment. In the chronic phase of the study, the patients were reevaluated after 1 month on the assigned treatment. During the acute phase, CFR (P=0.005) was significantly improved in the RAS inhibition as compared with the control group, independently of blood pressure (BP) changes. The E/e' ratio was also marginally improved (P=0.053), but this effect was more pronounced in patients with E/e' ratio>8 (P=0.005). CFR and E/e' ratio were also improved after 1 month of treatment, particularly in responders after the acute phase. In hypertensive patients, RAS inhibition acutely improved CFR and E/e' ratio independently of BP changes. An acute positive response in these parameters was closely related to sustained improvement after 1 month of single-drug treatment.