Introduction:
Diastolic dysfunction has been characterized in relation to the relaxation and compliance properties of the left ventricle; limited information exists regarding its relationship to systolic function as assessed by deformation imaging.
Objectives:
To determine if there is left ventricular systolic dysfunction detected by global longitudinal strain (GLS) measured by two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis with different degrees of diastolic dysfunction and normal ejection fraction (EF).
Methods:
Consecutive biopsy-proven AL patients with preserved EF (≥ 55%) who had a comprehensive echocardiogram performed and strain analysis were included. Cohort was divided into 5 groups according to the different grades of diastolic dysfunction: Group 0: normal filling pressures; Group 1: abnormal relaxation; Group 2: pseudo-normal pattern; Group 3: reversible restrictive; Group 4: fixed restrictive. Images were acquired and performed on a Vivid 9 from the 3 apical views, and analyzed on vendor-specific software (Echo-PAC, GE). GLS was averaged from the 16 segments, and their means compared by ANOVA and each pair with Student’s t test.
Results:
A total of 858 patients were included, mean age was 63.7 years ± 10.1, and 61.5% were male. From those, 205 (24%) were in group 0; 299 (35%) in group 1; 255 (30%) in group 2; 65 (7%) in group 3; and 34 in group 4 (4%). GLS means measurements were -18.95 ± 2.4, -16.86 ± 3.4, -15.60 ± 3.9, -12.31 ± 3.0, and -10.48 ± 3.3, respectively (P<0.0001). All individual GLS values were significantly different statistically when compared between each group (P<0.01 for all pairs; figure).
Conclusions:
Longitudinal systolic mechanical function is progressively impaired in AL amyloid patients as diastolic dysfunction progresses, despite normal EF. This systolic dysfunction provides insights into the intrinsic relationship between the components of the cardiac cycle.
Longitudinal systolic dysfunction in hypertensive cardiomyopathy with normal ejection fraction
