Echocardiographic Advances in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Although the overall survival of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has improved significantly in the last decades, a non-negligible proportion of DCM patients still shows an unfavorable prognosis. DCM patients not only need imaging techniques that are effective in diagnosis, but also suitable for long-term follow-up with frequent re-evaluations. The exponential growth of echocardiography’s technology and performance in recent years has resulted in improved diagnostic accuracy, stratification, management and follow-up of patients with DCM. This review summarizes some new developments in echocardiography and their promising applications in DCM. Although nowadays cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) remains the gold standard technique in DCM, the echocardiographic advances and novelties proposed in the manuscript, if properly integrated into clinical practice, could bring echocardiography closer to CMR in terms of accuracy and may certify ultrasound as the technique of choice in the follow-up of DCM patients. The application in DCM patients of novel echocardiographic techniques represents an interesting emergent research area for scholars in the near future.

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Endurance and performance of two different concepts for left ventricular stimulation with bipolar epicardial leads in long-term follow-up

The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon ◽

10.1055/s-0029-1247086 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (S 01) ◽

Author(s):

H Burger ◽

T Schwarz ◽

W Ehrlich ◽

W Klövekorn ◽

B Ziegelhöffer

Keyword(s):

Left Ventricular ◽

Ventricular Stimulation ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

And Performance

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Long-term follow-up of cardiac resynchronization therapy patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy assessed by radionuclide angiography

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.0299 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

C Valzania ◽

R Bonfiglioli ◽

F Fallani ◽

J Frisoni ◽

M Biffi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽

Radionuclide Angiography ◽

Cardiac Resynchronization ◽

Resynchronization Therapy ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Non Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽

Lv Ejection Fraction

Abstract Background While the beneficial effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) have been widely investigated soon after CRT implantation, relatively few data are available on long-term clinical outcomes of CRT recipients. Aim To investigate long-term outcomes of CRT patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy stratified as responders and non-responders according to radionuclide angiography. Methods Consecutive heart failure patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy undergoing CRT implantation at our University Hospital between 2007 and 2013 were enrolled. All patients were assessed with equilibrium Tc99 radionuclide angiography at baseline and after 3 months of CRT. Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction was computed on the basis of relative end-diastolic and end-systolic counts, and intraventricular dyssynchrony was derived by Fourier phase analysis. Response to CRT was defined by an absolute increase in LV ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥5% at 3-month follow-up. Clinical outcome was assessed after 10 years through hospital records review. Results Forty-seven patients (83% men, 63±11 years) were included in the study. At 3 months, 25 (53%) patients were identified as CRT responders according to LVEF increase (from 26±8 to 38±12%, p<0.001). In these patients, LV dyssynchrony decreased from 59±30° to 29±18° (p<0.001). Twenty-two (47%) patients were defined as non-responders. No significant changes in LVEF and LV dyssynchrony (50±30° vs. 38±19°, p=0.07) were observed in non-responders. At long-term follow-up (11±2 years), all-cause and cardiac mortality rates were 24% and 12% in responders vs. 32% and 27% in non-responders, respectively (p=ns). Heart transplantation was performed in 3 patients. One (4%) patient among CRT responders compared with 6 (27%) patients among non-responders died of worsening heart failure (p=0.03). Conclusions Although late overall mortality of non-ischemic CRT recipients was not significantly different between mid-term responders and non-responders, CRT responders were at lower risk of worsening heart failure death. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

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Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients with Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias Treated with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology ◽

10.1111/j.1540-8159.1991.tb02788.x ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 14 (11) ◽

pp. 1905-1910 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

GREGORY FAZIO ◽

ENRICO P. VELTRI ◽

GORDON TOMASELLI ◽

RICHARD LEWIS ◽

LAWRENCE S.C. GRIFFITH ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators ◽

Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽

Cardioverter Defibrillators

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Use of Cardiac Biomarkers for Monitoring Improvement of Left Ventricular Function by Immunoadsorption Treatment in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom9110654 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 654

Author(s):

Weinmann ◽

Werner ◽

Koenig ◽

Rottbauer ◽

Walcher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽

Troponin I ◽

Troponin T ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Cardiac Biomarkers ◽

Lv Function ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Acute Changes

Immunoadsorption and subsequent administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) have shown beneficial effects on cardiac function and symptoms in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Biomarkers play an emerging role in disease monitoring and outcome prediction of heart failure (HF) patients. We aimed to analyze cardiac biomarkers as predictor for improvement of left ventricular (LV) function after immunoadsorption treatment in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Thirty-one patients with dilated cardiomyopathy on optimized HF pharmacotherapy received a single cycle of immunoadsorption for five days followed by IVIG administration. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and heart failure biomarkers (hs troponin T, hs troponin I, NT-proBNP and sST2) were evaluated before treatment, after the last cycle of immunoadsorption and during a median follow-up of 30.5 months. We correlated HF biomarkers before immunoadsorption and acute changes of HF biomarkers by immunoadsorption with LV improvement during the long-term follow-up. LV function improved significantly after immunoadsorption from 28.0 to 42.0% during the long-term follow-up (p < 0.0001). Evaluation of biomarker levels showed a significant decrease for hs troponin I (from 9.2 to 5.5 ng/L, p < 0.05) and NT-proBNP (from 789.6 to 281.2 pg/mL, p < 0.005). Correlation of biomarker levels before immunoadsorption and LVEF at the long-term follow-up show good results for hs troponin T (r = −0.40, r2 = 0.16, p < 0.05), hs troponin I (r = −0.41, r2 = 0.17, p < 0.05) and sST2 (r = −0.46, r2 = 0.19, p < 0.05). Correlation of biomarker levels before immunoadsorption and the individual increase in LV function was significant for hs troponin T (r = −0.52, r2 = 0.27, p < 0.005) and hs troponin I (r = −0.53, r2 = 0.29, p < 0.005). To imply a tool for monitoring outcome immediately after immunoadsorption treatment, we investigated the correlation of acute changes of biomarker levels by immunoadsorption treatment and individual increase in LV function. A drop in hs troponin T (r = −0.41, r2 = 0.17, p < 0.05) and hs troponin I (r = −0.53, r2 = 0.28, p < 0.005) levels demonstrate a good correlation to improvement in LVEF during the long-term follow-up. Conclusion: Hs troponin T and I levels correlate with LV function improvement during long-term follow-up. Acute decrease of troponins by immunoadsorption treatment is paralleled by individual improvement of LVEF at the long-term follow-up. Thus, troponins could serve as a monitoring tool for the improvement of LV function after immunoadsorption treatment in dilated cardiomyopathy.

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