Comparisons of myocardial strain and strain rate in patients with heart failure with preserved and reduced ejection fraction using Feature Tracking of cine MR images

Abstract Introduction Muscular architecture of the heart is three dimensionally complex and contractility parameters vary widely. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking is a largely available and facile method to assess myocardial strain at different layers of the myocardium. Purpose Assessing and compare the myocardial longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential strain (GCS) at three distinct layers of the myocardium in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods 59 patients with a clinical diagnosis of HF who were post-hoc subdivided according to the measured EF and echo assessment of diastolic impairment into 3 groups, following ESC guidelines, were included: (1) patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) where EF >50% and diastolic dysfunction (E/e' ratio) is present and plasma levels of natriuretic peptides are elevated, (2) patients with HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF), where EF = 40–49% and similar additional criterias are present, (3) patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) where EF <40%. Exclusion criteria: valvulopathy, arrhythmias, insufficient acquisition and artefacts. Results Strain values are the highest in the Endo− and progressively lower in the Myo− and Epi− layers with a gradient present in all groups but decreasing in HFmEF and further in HFrEF. GLS decrease with the severity of the disease in all 3 layers Normal > HFpEF > HFmrEF > HFrEF (Endo−: −23.0±3.5 vs −20.0±3.3 vs −16.4±2.2 vs −11.0±3.2, p<0.001, Myo−: −20.7±2.4 vs −17.5.0±2.6 vs −14.5±2.1 vs −9.6±2.7, p<0.001, Epi−: −15.7±1.9 vs −12.2±2.1 vs −10.6±2.3 vs −7.7±2.3, p<0.001) (Figure A), GCS is not different between the Normal and HFpEF (Endo−: −34.5±6.2 vs −33.9±5.7, p=0.51; Myo−: −21.9±3.8 vs −21.3±2.2, p=0.39; Epi−: −11.4±2.0 vs −10.9±2.3, p=0.54) but markedly lower in systolic HF groups Normal > HFmrEF > HFrEF (Endo−: −34.5±6.2 vs −20.0±4.2 vs −12.3±4.2, p<0.001; Myo−: −21.9±3.8 vs −13.0±3.4 vs −8.0±2.7, p<0.001; Epi−: −11.4±2.0 vs −7.9±2.3 vs −4.5±1.9) (Figure B). ROC analysis renders Endo− GCS (AUC=0.89) and respectively Endo− GLS (AUC=0.74) as optimal to detect contractile impairment in HF with Youden's thresholds of −20.2 for Endo− GLS and, respectively, −28.1 for Endo− GCS. Endo− GCS is not different between control and HFpEF and GLS impairment is present only inconstantly in HFpEF. Conclusions Feature tracking CMR successfully assess layer-specific myocardial strain and emerges as a powerful tool in functional stratification of patients with HF. Strain amplitude varies consistently throughout the myocardium and its quantification warrants careful standardization. Sub-endocardial strain values of strain are comparatively the highest and show most predictive power to detect contractile impairment. Underlying systolic impairment is present only in a subgroup of patients with HFpEF and only GLS and not the GCS is for this purpose a useful diagnostic tool.

Download Full-text

Range Variability in CMR Feature Tracking Multilayer Strain across Different Stages of Heart Failure

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-52683-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Radu Tanacli ◽

Djawid Hashemi ◽

Tomas Lapinskas ◽

Frank Edelmann ◽

Rolf Gebker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Ejection Fraction ◽

Feature Tracking ◽

Circumferential Strain ◽

Ventricular Remodeling ◽

Myocardial Strain ◽

Systolic Heart Failure ◽

Cardiac Contraction ◽

Strain And Strain Rate ◽

Multilayer Strain

Abstract Heart failure (HF) is associated with progressive ventricular remodeling and impaired contraction that affects distinctly various regions of the myocardium. Our study applied cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking (FT) to assess comparatively myocardial strain at 3 distinct levels: subendocardial (Endo-), mid (Myo-) and subepicardial (Epi-) myocardium across an extended spectrum of patients with HF. 59 patients with HF, divided into 3 subgroups as follows: preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF, N = 18), HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF, N = 21), HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF, N = 20) and a group of age- gender- matched volunteers (N = 17) were included. Using CMR FT we assessed systolic longitudinal and circumferential strain and strain-rate at Endo-, Myo- and Epi- levels. Strain values were the highest in the Endo- layer and progressively lower in the Myo- and Epi- layers respectively, this gradient was present in all the patients groups analyzed but decreased progressively in HFmrEF and further on in HFrEF groups. GLS decreased with the severity of the disease in all 3 layers: Normal > HFpEF > HFmrEF > HFrEF (Endo-: −23.0 ± 3.5 > −20.0 ± 3.3 > −16.4 ± 2.2 > −11.0 ± 3.2, p < 0.001, Myo-: −20.7 ± 2.4 > −17.5.0 ± 2.6 > −14.5 ± 2.1 > −9.6 ± 2.7, p < 0.001; Epi-: −15.7 ± 1.9 > −12.2 ± 2.1 > −10.6 ± 2.3 > −7.7 ± 2.3, p < 0.001). In contrast, GCS was not different between the Normal and HFpEF (Endo-: −34.5 ± 6.2 vs −33.9 ± 5.7, p = 0.51; Myo-: −21.9 ± 3.8 vs −21.3 ± 2.2, p = 0.39, Epi-: −11.4 ± 2.0 vs −10.9 ± 2.3, p = 0.54) but was, as well, markedly lower in the systolic heart failure groups: Normal > HFmrEF > HFrEF (Endo-: −34.5 ± 6.2 > −20.0 ± 4.2 > 12.3 ± 4.2, p < 0.001; Myo-: −21.9 ± 3.8 > −13.0 ± 3.4 > −8.0 ± 2.7. p < 0.001; Epi-: −11.4 ± 2.0 > −7.9 ± 2.3 > −4.5 ± 1.9. p < 0.001). CMR feature tracking multilayer strain assessment identifies large range differences between distinct myocardial regions. Our data emphasizes the importance of sub-endocardial myocardium for cardiac contraction and thus, its predilect role in imaging detection of functional impairment. CMR feature tracking offers a convenient, readily available, platform to evaluate myocardial contraction with excellent spatial resolution, rendering further details about discrete areas of the myocardium. Using this technique across distinct groups of patients with heart failure (HF), we demonstrate that subendocardial regions of the myocardium exhibit much higher strain values than mid-myocardium or subepicardial and are more sensitive to detect contractile impairment. We also show comparatively higher values of circumferential strain compared with longitudinal and a higher sensitivity to detect contractile impairment. A newly characterized group of patients, HF with mid-range ejection fraction (EF), shows similar traits of decompensation but has relatively higher strain values as patients with HF with reduced EF.

Download Full-text