Evaluation of Normal Fetal Left Cardiac Function by Tissue Doppler Imaging

To explore the feasibility of using tissue Doppler imaging technique for the evaluation of fetus＇s left ventrieular diastolic function, and to confirm its reliability by comparing it with traditional methods, this study examined 61 pregnant women in whom satisfactory images were obtained of fetal eehoeardiography. The peak velocity of blood stream were measured, including E, A and E/A at mitral valve orifice on the four chamber view with pulse wave. And then tissue Doppler imaging mode was employed to measure the velocity of mitral valve annulus including Ea, Aa, Sa and Ea / Aa. Correlation analysis was conducted between the velocity of orifice and that of annulus in terms of gestation age. And then correlation analysis was performed between above data and gestation ages. A positive correlation was found between the velocity of orifice and that of annulus, and the velocity increased with the gestation age. The change was the most significant between the 28th and the 34th week of gestation age. Our study showed that it is feasible to evaluate the fetus＇s left ven trieular diastole function by tissue Doppler imaging. Its stability can avoid the influence of fetal heart rates and preload.

Effects of Long-term Right Ventricular Apical Pacing on Left Ventricular Remodeling and Cardiac Function

Objective: To investigate the impacts of long-term right ventricular apical pacing on the ventricular remodeling and cardiac functions of patients with high-grade and third-degree atrioventricular blockage with normal heart structures and cardiac functions. In addition, we provide many evidences for choosing an optimal electrode implantation site.Methods: Study participants included patients who were admitted for pacemaker replacements and revisited for examinations of implanted pacemakers at outpatient. Pacemakers were implanted to treat high-grade and third-degree atrioventricular blockage. At the time of pacemaker implantation, patients had normal cardiac functions and showed no serious heart diseases or cardiac dilatation. The durations from the implantation to follow-up were more than 5 years. The pacing rate was higher than 80%. Patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% and a left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) > 55 mm were excluded. Ventricular remodeling was defined as follows:increase of LVEDD by 10% and a reduction of LVEF by 25% for five years after implantation. Cardiac functions were evaluated according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification.Results:A total of 82 patients with a mean age of (66.97±13.19) years (range, 12 to 91 years old),among which 39 male and 43 female were enrolled in this study. The average duration between two assessments was 8.7 years (104.4 months). Before pacemaker implantation, the average left atrial diameter (LA), LVEDD and LVEF were 37.0 mm, 50.23 mm and 64.87%, respectively. After the implantation, these values were 39.39 mm (P=0.000163), 50.82 mm (P=0.177842) and 60.50% (P=0.000104), respectively. Four patients (4.87%) had ventricular remodeling with deteriorations of cardiac function, three of which had anterior wall myocardial infarction after implantation and one had type II diabetes. Clinical symptoms of heart failure were not found among the patients who did not exhibit ventricular remodeling. Conclusion: Through a long-period follow-up study, we found that long-term right ventricular apical pacing in patients with normal heart structure and cardiac function would not generally cause ventricular remodeling and clinical deteriorations of cardiac function. Right ventricular apical is a safe and effective site for pacing electrode wire implantation.

Ultrasound assessment of left cardiac function in patients with gestational hypertension and its correlation with serum cytokine contents

Objective: To investigate the ultrasound assessment of left cardiac function in patients with gestational hypertension and its correlation with serum cytokine contents. Methods: A total of 76 patients with gestational hypertension who were treated in Guangyuan Central Hospital between August 2015 and February 2017 were selected as gestational hypertension group, and 50 healthy pregnant women who received regular prenatal examination in Guangyuan Central Hospital during the same period were selected as normal control group. The differences in the ultrasonic left cardiac function parameter levels as well as serum contents of endothelial injury indexes and inflammatory factors were compared between the two groups of pregnant women. Pearson test was used to assess the correlation of ultrasonic left cardiac function parameter levels of gestational hypertension with serum endothelial injury index and inflammatory factor contents. Results: LAVmax, LVESV and LVEDV levels in gestational hypertension group were significantly higher than those in normal control group;serum endothelial injury indexes NO and PGE2 contents were lower than those of normal control group whereas ET-1 content was higher than that of normal control group;serum inflammatory factors IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17 and IL-23 contents were significantly higher than those of normal control group. Correlation analysis showed that the ultrasonic left cardiac function parameter levels in patients with gestational hypertension were directly correlated with serum content of endothelial injury indexes and inflammatory factors. Conclusion: Ultrasonic left cardiac function parameter levels significantly change in patients with gestational hypertension, and the specific levels are directly correlated with the degree of endothelial injury and inflammatory response in the pregnant women.

Effect of cardiac rehabilitation care after coronary intervention on cardiac function recovery and negative mood in patients with myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease,particularly myocardial infarction(MI)profound impact on patients'quality of life and places a substantial burden on the healthcare and economy systems.Developments in medical technology have led to the emer-gence of coronary intervention as an essential method for treating MI.AIM To assess the effects of cardiac rehabilitation care on cardiac function recovery and negative emotions in MI after coronary intervention.METHODS This study included a total of 180 patients with MI during the period from June 2022 to July 2023.Selected patients were divided into two groups:An observation group,which receiving cardiac rehabilitation care;a control group,which re-ceiving conventional care.By comparing multiple observation indicators such as cardiac function indicators,blood pressure,exercise tolerance,occurrence of adverse cardiac events,and negative emotion scores between the two groups of patients.All the data were analyzed and compared between two groups.RESULTS There were 44 males and 46 females in the observation group with an average age of 36.26±9.88 yr;there were 43 males and 47 females in the control group,with an average age of 40.87±10.5 yr.After receiving the appropriate postoperative nursing measures,the results of the observation group showed significant improvement in several indicators compared with the control group.Indicators of cardiac function,such as left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly better in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05).Exercise endurance assessment showed that the 6-minute walking test distance was significantly increased in the patients of the observation group(P<0.01).In addition,the incidence of adverse cardiac events was significantly lower in the observation group,and negative mood scores were significantly reduced(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Cardiac rehabilitation care after coronary intervention has a significant positive impact on functional recovery.This emphasizes the importance of cardiac rehabilitation care to improve patient recovery.

The Effect of Predictive Nursing Intervention on Cardiac Function and Clinical Outcomes in CCU Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction After Interventional Therapy

Objective:To evaluate the impact of predictive nursing on the care of acute myocardial infarction(AMI)patients in the Coronary Care Unit(CCU)after interventional therapy.Methods:From September 2021 to September 2023,84 AMI patients admitted to the CCU were randomly divided into two groups:the experimental group(42 patients)received predictive nursing,and the reference group(42 patients)received conventional nursing.Cardiac function and clinical outcomes were compared between the groups.Results:Before nursing,there was no difference in cardiac function between the two groups(P>0.05).After nursing,the cardiac function of the experimental group was better than that of the reference group(P<0.05).The clinical outcomes of the experimental group were better than those of the reference group(P<0.05).Before nursing,there was no difference in psychological scores between the two groups(P>0.05).After nursing,the psychological scores of the experimental group were lower than those of the reference group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Predictive nursing can improve the cardiac function and clinical outcomes of AMI patients after interventional therapy and can also regulate patients’negative psychological states.

The Impact of Cardiac Pacing Site on Patient's Cardiac Function and Psychological State

With the widespread application of artificial permanent pacemakers in clinical practice,there have been new changes in the indications for pacemaker implantation.The current clinical indications include high atrioventricular block,sick sinus syndrome,cardiac resynchronization therapy for heart failure,and implantation of cardioverter defibrillators for ventricular arrhythmias.The implantation of a pacemaker can improve the quality of life and prognosis of patients with arrhythmia.In the past,permanent pacemaker implantation was performed in clinical practice,and the right ventricular pacing electrode was often fixed at the apex of the right ventricle,which belongs to non physiological pacing.Through long-term clinical follow-up,it was found that apex pacing can easily cause abnormal depolarization of the left ventricle,asynchronous contraction of the myocardium,and ultimately lead to myocardial fibrosis,which has adverse effects on the patient's cardiac function and psychological state.In recent years,Scholars have found that pacing in the right ventricular outflow tract septum is closer to the atrioventricular node and closer to the His bundle Purkinje fibers.The pacing impulse almost simultaneously expands towards both ventricles,closer to the physiological pacing state,thereby reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients.This article explores the impact of pacing in different parts of the heart on the cardiac function and psychological state of patients based on clinical data from the past three years.

Analysis of Cardiac Functional Status and Factors Influencing Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Pregnant Women with Combined Heart Disease

Objective:To investigate the cardiac function of pregnant women with complicated heart disease during pregnancy and the factors influencing the adverse pregnancy outcome.Methods:A total of 162 cases of pregnant women with complicated heart disease admitted to the Beijing Anzhen Hospital from October 2021 to December 2023 were selected to compare the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with complicated heart disease at different levels of cardiac function and to analyze the single and multi factors leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with complicated heart disease.Results:Among 162 pregnant women with combined heart disease in pregnancy,the highest percentage of heart disease type was congenital heart disease(80/49.38%),and the lowest percentage was other(9/5.56%);the overall incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with combined heart disease in pregnancy with cardiac function grades of 3–4 cardiac function(30/68.18%)was higher than that in pregnant women with combined heart disease in cardiac function grades of 1–2(40/33.90%)(P=0.000);age,marital status,hypertension,and past history of all pregnant women were not statistically significant(P>0.05);gestational age,type of heart disease,and cardiac function grading were statistically significant(P<0.05),and these factors were all independent risk factors for adverse pregnancy resolution in pregnant women with combined heart disease(P<0.05).Conclusion:The overall incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was higher in pregnant women with heart disease than in those with heart disease grades 1–2,and the number of pregnancies,the type of heart disease,and heart function grades were all independent risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with heart disease.

Effectiveness of Atorvastatin Combined with Trimetazidine in the Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease in the Elderly and Their Effect on Cardiac Function

Objective:To analyze the effect of atorvastatin combined with trimetazidine in the treatment of elderly coronary artery disease and the effect on patients’cardiac function.Methods:60 cases of elderly coronary artery disease patients were divided into 2 groups by randomization method,and all of them received conventional symptomatic treatment,while atorvastatin was added to the control group and trimetazidine was combined with atorvastatin in the observation group,and the clinical indexes were compared.Results:After treatment,the angina attack,cardiac function indexes,and inflammatory factor levels of the observation group were better than those of the control group(P<0.05),and the differences in adverse reactions between the two groups were not significant(P>0.05).Conclusion:Combined treatment of coronary heart disease in the elderly with atorvastatin and trimetazidine can positively reduce angina symptoms,improve cardiac function,and reduce inflammatory reactions,and the effect is definite.

Effects of Continuous Precision Nursing Model on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Behavior and Cardiac Function in Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Angiography and Stent Implantation

Objective:To explore the impact of a continuous precision nursing model on patients’Knowledge,Attitudes,and Practices(KAP)and cardiac function during the nursing process of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angiography and stent implantation.Methods:Ninety patients who underwent percutaneous coronary angiography and stent implantation in our hospital from April 2022 to April 2023 were selected and randomly divided into the control group(45 cases),in which routine nursing support was carried out during the treatment process,and the observation group(45 cases),in which continuous precision nursing model was carried out during the treatment process.Comparisons were made between the two groups of patients on their KAP,cardiac function,and quality of life during recovery.Results:There was no difference in the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),cardiac output(CO),and cardiac index(CI)levels before intervention.After the intervention,the levels of cardiac function in the observation group were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).There was no difference in the Exercise of Self-Care Agency(ESCA)self-care ability scale scores before the intervention.After the intervention,the observation group had higher ESCA scores than the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Implementation of a continuous precision nursing model in the care of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angiography and stent implantation improved the patient’s cardiac function,and KAP,and promoted recovery.

Lyophilized recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide for chronic heart failure:Effects on cardiac function and inflammation

BACKGROUND Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a serious and prevalent condition characterized by impaired cardiac function and inflammation.Standard therapy for CHF has limitations,prompting the exploration of alternative treatments.Recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide(BNP)has emerged as a potential therapy,with evidence suggesting that it can improve cardiac function and reduce inflammation in patients with CHF.However,further research is required to determine the efficacy and safety of lyophilized recombinant human BNP in CHF patients and its impact on microinflammatory status.This study aimed to investigate the effects of lyophilized recombinant human BNP therapy on CHF patients’cardiac function and microinflammatory status.AIM To investigate the effects of freeze-dried recombinant human BNP therapy on cardiac function and microinflammatory status in patients with CHF.METHODS In total,102 CHF patients admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 were randomly assigned to control and observation groups(n=51 patients/group).The control patients were treated with standard HF therapy for 3 d,whereas the observational patients were injected with the recombinant human BNP for 3 d.Clinical efficacy,inflammatory factor levels,myocardial damage,cardiac function before and after the treatment,and adverse reactions during treatment were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The overall clinical efficacy was higher in the observation group than in the control group.Compared with baseline,serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein,N-terminal proBNP,and troponin I level,and physical,emotional,social,and economic scores were lower in both groups after treatment,with greater reductions in levels and scores noted in the observation group than in the control group.The overall incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was not significantly different compared with that in the control group(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Freeze-dried recombinant human BNP therapy can improve heart function and enhance microinflammatory status,thereby improving overall quality of life without any obvious side effects.This therapy is safe and reliable.

Detection of Left Ventricular Cavity from Cardiac MRI Images Using Faster R-CNN

The automatic localization of the left ventricle(LV)in short-axis magnetic resonance(MR)images is a required step to process cardiac images using convolutional neural networks for the extraction of a region of interest(ROI).The precise extraction of the LV’s ROI from cardiac MRI images is crucial for detecting heart disorders via cardiac segmentation or registration.Nevertheless,this task appears to be intricate due to the diversities in the size and shape of the LV and the scattering of surrounding tissues across different slices.Thus,this study proposed a region-based convolutional network(Faster R-CNN)for the LV localization from short-axis cardiac MRI images using a region proposal network(RPN)integrated with deep feature classification and regression.Themodel was trained using images with corresponding bounding boxes(labels)around the LV,and various experiments were applied to select the appropriate layers and set the suitable hyper-parameters.The experimental findings showthat the proposed modelwas adequate,with accuracy,precision,recall,and F1 score values of 0.91,0.94,0.95,and 0.95,respectively.This model also allows the cropping of the detected area of LV,which is vital in reducing the computational cost and time during segmentation and classification procedures.Therefore,itwould be an ideal model and clinically applicable for diagnosing cardiac diseases.

Effect of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Injection on Blood Pressure and Cardiac Function in Rats with Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia

Objective: This study is to observe the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection on blood pressure and cardiac function in rats with pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia. Methodology: Syncytiotrophoblast microvilli (stbm) and l-arginine nitrosyl methyl ester were screened out via caudal vein injection. Twenty gestational hypertension-preeclampsia model SD (Sprague Dawley) rats successfully induced by L-NAME (L-arginine Nitrosyl methyl ester) were randomly divided into 2 groups (model group and Danshen injection group, n = 10). Then another 10 normal pregnant SD rats without model were selected as blank control group. The Salvia miltiorrhiza injection group was given Salvia miltiorrhiza injection (0.5 g?kg?1?d?1) through tail vein, and the control group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline through tail vein injection. All three groups were treated by tail vein injection once a day (d) for 7 days. After treatment, heart rate (HR), Systolic pressure (SP), diastolic pressure (DP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured by tail artery. Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd) and Left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVDs) were recorded by echocardiography. Left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular ejection fraction (left ventricular ejection) fraction, LVEF) and the maximum rate of increase/decrease of left ventricular pressure during isovolemic systole (+dp/dtmax/?dp/dtmax);Endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in rat tail vein blood were detected by ELISA. Results: SP, DP, MP, HR, LVSP, LVDs and ?dp/dtmaxx were all decreased, plasma ET-1 expression was low, and LVDd, LVEDP, LVEF, and +dp/dtmax were all increased in the Salvia miltiorroot injection group, with statistical significance compared to the model group (p Conclusion: Salvia miltiorrhiza injection can improve the cardiac function and reduce blood pressure in rats with pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, and the mechanism may be related to alleviating systemic arteriolar spasm by regulating ET-1 level.

CLINICAL RESEARCH ON THE EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON THE LEFT VENTRICULAR CONTRACTION FUNCTION IN SYMPTOMLESS CARDIAC FAILURE PATIENTS

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture therapy on the function of myocardial contraction in symptomless cardiac failure patients.Methods: A total of 60 cases of symptomless cardiac insufficiency inpatients were randomly divided into medication and acupuncture groups, with 30 cases in each group. For patients of acupuncture group, Neiguan (PC 6), Ximen (PC 4), Tanzhong (CV 17), Xinshu (BL 15), Jueyinshu (BL 14) and Geshu (BL 17) were punctured, twice daily, with 30 days being a therapeutic course. In medication group, patients were asked to take Capoten 25 mg (t.i.d.). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and its fractional shortening (FS) of the minor axis were used as the indexes for assessing the therapeutic effect and detected by using a color ultrasonic Doppler apparatus. Results: After one course of treatment, of the each 30 cases of acupuncture and medication groups, 13 (43.3%) and 16 (53.3%) had marked improvement, 16 (53.3%) and 14 (46.7%) had improvement, and 1 (3.3%) and 0 had no any effect respectively. No significant difference was found between two groups in the therapeutic effect. It shows acupuncture therapy can improve myocardial contraction function. Conclusion: Acupuncture has a similar effect in enhancing the systolic function of the myocardium.

The Clinical Association of Left Atrial Function with Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

The left atrium (LA) has been recognized as a morphophysiological barometer of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Because in the myocardial ischemia cascade where LV diastolic dysfunction often precedes LV systolic dysfunction, the LA which fashions as an early marker of diastolic anomaly, could equally reflect a declining LV function and/or be a good predictor of potential sequelae. We assessed this association of LA function with reduced LV systolic function among hospitalized patients. Among patients with reduced LV ejection fraction, LA passive ejection fraction was lower (0.172 ± 0.12 vs. 0.232 ± 0.14, p = 0.013) whereas LA kinetic energy was higher (6.48 ± 6.3 vs. 4.57 ± 3.5, p = 0.005). Echocardiographic assessment of LA function, therefore, appears correlated with LVEF and could be important when risk stratifying hospitalized patients.

Deep learning echocardiographic intelligent model for evaluation on left ventricular regional wall motion abnormality

Objective To observe the value of deep learning echocardiographic intelligent model for evaluation on left ventricular(LV)regional wall motion abnormalities(RWMA).Methods Apical two-chamber,three-chamber and four-chamber views two-dimensional echocardiograms were obtained prospectively in 205 patients with coronary heart disease.The model for evaluating LV regional contractile function was constructed using a five-fold cross-validation method to automatically identify the presence of RWMA or not,and the performance of this model was assessed taken manual interpretation of RWMA as standards.Results Among 205 patients,RWMA was detected in totally 650 segments in 83 cases.LV myocardial segmentation model demonstrated good efficacy for delineation of LV myocardium.The average Dice similarity coefficient for LV myocardial segmentation results in the apical two-chamber,three-chamber and four-chamber views was 0.85,0.82 and 0.88,respectively.LV myocardial segmentation model accurately segmented LV myocardium in apical two-chamber,three-chamber and four-chamber views.The mean area under the curve(AUC)of RWMA identification model was 0.843±0.071,with sensitivity of(64.19±14.85)%,specificity of(89.44±7.31)%and accuracy of(85.22±4.37)%.Conclusion Deep learning echocardiographic intelligent model could be used to automatically evaluate LV regional contractile function,hence rapidly and accurately identifying RWMA.

Assessment of Left Ventricular Mechanical Function in Cardiac Syndrome X: Speckle Tracking Imaging Study

Objective: Early detection of LV mechanical abnormalities in patients with cardiac syndrome X (CSX) by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). Background: Cardiac syndrome X is a triad of angina pectoris, positive stress test for myocardial ischemia and angiographically free coronary arteries. Two dimensional speckle tracking?echocardiography (2D-STE) provides a more sensitive method for evaluation of global and segmental LV function than conventional two dimensional echocardiographic parameters. Subjects and Methods: Seventy patients proved to have CSX and 20 healthy control volunteers were included with a mean age of 49.43 ± 5.92 vs. 49.40 ±6.27 years respectively with no difference regarding sex for both patients and controls. Patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies, inflammatory diseases, myocarditis and arrhythmias were excluded. All included individuals were subjected to complete conventional echocardiographic assessment and left ventricular global and segmental mechanical function was assessed using 2D based strain and strain rate (longitudinal, radial and circumferential) imaging. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in LV conventional echo parameters between patients and controls. However, global mean longitudinal strain was significantly lower in patients than controls (-15.05 ± 3.28 vs. -20.22 ± 2.49;p 0.001). For radial and circumferential strain stain, there was no significant changes between patients vs. controls (29.75 ± 18.26 vs. 28.09 ± 15.48;p = 0.74) and (-19.88 ± 8.63 vs. -21.93 ± 5.69;p 0.05) respectively. Conclusion: In spite of normal conventional echo parameters among patients and controls, LV longitudinal strain and strain rate by 2D speckle tracking imaging were lower in the patients denoting subclinical left ventricular mechanical dysfunction in patients with CSX.

Effect of PTCA and stenting on left ventricular diastolic function in patients with CHD

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effect of successful coronary revascularisation on left ventricular diastolic function.Methods We consecutively studied the diastolic function by Doppler echocardiography in 125 patients with one vessel disease before and 48 hours after selective coronary angioplasty. The following parameters of left ventricular diastolic function were evaluated: peak early (VE, m/s) and peak late diastolic (VA, m/s) flow velocity, E/A ratio, acceleration time (AT, ms), deceleration time (DT, ms) and isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT, ms). Ejection fraction (EF; %) was determined and used to characterise systolic left ventricular function. Results All of the patients were initially successful treated with coronary angioplasty (residual stenosis <40% ). In 98 patients( 78.4% ) stents were used to improve an inadequate result after coronary angioplasty. Both patient groups (27 patients with coronary angioplasty and 98 patients with combined coronary angioplasty and stent implantation) showed no relevant differences concerning sex, age, atherosclerotic risk factors, exercise capacity and results of exercise electrocardiography. All patients who underwent stent implantation showed an early improvement of left ventricular diastolic function 48 hours after revascularisation. Surprisingly there was no significant short term improvement (48 hours) of diastolic function in patients with initially successful angioplasty.Conclusions We suppose that stent implantation might normalize coronary blood flow faster than that of coronary balloon angioplasty.

Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia:Systematic review and analysis of the 37 cases reported so far

BACKGROUND Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia(ILVAH),also known as truncated left ventricle(LV),is a very unusual cardiomyopathy.It is characterised by a truncated,spherical,and non-apex forming LV.The true apex is occupied by the right ventricle.Due to the rarity of the disease,just a few case reports and limited case series have been published in the field.AIM To analysing the so far 37 reported ILVAH cases worldwide.METHODS The electronic databases PubMed and Scopus were investigated from their establishment up to December 13,2022.RESULTS The majority of cases reported occurred in males(52.7%).Mean age at diagnosis was 26.1±19.6 years.More than a third of the patients were asymptomatic(35.1%).The most usual clinical presentation was breathlessness(40.5%).The most commonly detected electrocardiogram changes were T wave abnormalities(29.7%)and right axis deviation with poor R wave progression(24.3%).Atrial fibrillation/flutter was detected in 24.3%.Echocardiography was performed in 97.3%of cases and cardiac MRI in 91.9%of cases.Ejection fraction was reduced in more than a half of patients(56.7%).An associated congenital heart disease was found in 16.2%.Heart failure therapy was administered in 35.1%of patients.The outcome was favorable in the vast majority of patients,with just one death.CONCLUSION ILVAH is a multifaceted entity with a so far unpredictable course,ranging from benign until the elderly to sudden death during adolescence.

Assessment of Regional Left Ventricular Myocardial Function in Rats after Acute Occlusion of Left Anterior Descending Artery by Two-dimensional Speckle Tracking Imaging

This study evaluated the change in regional left ventricular myocardial function in rats following acute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery （LAD） by using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging （2D-STI）. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups, a myocardial infarction （MI） group, in which 50 rats were subjected to LAD occlusion for 30–45 min, and a sham-operated （SHAM） group that contained 10 rats serving as control. Echo-cardiography was performed at baseline and 1, 4 and 8 week（s） after the operation. High frequency two-dimensional images of left ventricular short axis at papillary muscle level were recorded. Peak systolic radial strain （PRS） and circumferential strain （PCS） were measured in the mid-ventricle in short-axis view by using EchoPAC workstation. Left ventricular internal diameter at diastole （LVIDd） and systole （LVIDs）, fractional shortening （FS）, ejection fraction （EF） and left ventricular mass （LVM） were measured by anatomical M-model echocardiography. Infarct size was measured using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining 1 week and 8 weeks after the operation. Fibrosis of left ventricu-lar myocardium was displayed using Van Gieson staining 1 week after the infarction. In terms of the TTC staining results, the left ventricle fell into three categories： infarcted, peri-infarcted and remote myocardial regions. Compared with those at baseline and in the SHAM group, （1） PRS and PCS in the infarcted, peri-infarcted and remote myocardial regions were significantly decreased in the MI group within 1 week after the operation （P〈0.05） and the low levels lasted 8 weeks; （2） Compared with those at baseline, LVIDd, LVIDs, FS, EF and LVM in the MI group showed no significant dif-ference 1 week after the operation （P〉0.05）. However, LVIDd, LVIDs and LVM were increased sig-nificantly 4 and 8 weeks after the operation （P〈0.05）, and FS and EF were decreased substantially （P〈0.05）. Van Gieson staining showed that fibrosis developed in all the three myocardial regions to varying degrees. It is concluded that 2D-STI is non-invasive and can be used to assess regional func-tion of myocardium with different blood supply in rats following acute occlusion of the LAD, and can be used as a sensitive and reliable means to follow up the process of left ventricular remodeling.

Ultrasound Speckle Tracking Imaging Contributes to Early Diagnosis of Impaired Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

To investigate the value of ultrasound speckle tracking imaging （STI） in the assessment of the short-axis and long-axis systolic function of the left ventricle （LV） in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus （DM）, 100 subjects with normal ejection fraction were studied, including 41 patients with DM only （DM group）, 22 patients with both DM and left ventricular hypertrophy （DH group）, and 37 healthy subjects （control group）. Left ventricle systolic function in the long axis defined as longitudinal strain, and that in the short axis defined as radial strain, apical and basal LV rotations, and LV twist were assessed respectively. The results showed that average peak strain in the long axis at basal, middle and apical levels, and global peak strain were significantly decreased in the patient groups when compared with the control group （P〈0.001 for each）. The parameters in DH group were significantly lower than those in DM group （P〈0.01 for each）. There were no significant differences in average radial peak strain in the short axis at different levels, and global peak strain among the three groups （P〉0.05）. Apical and basal LV rotations, and LV twist were greater in the patient groups than in the control group （P〈0.01 for each）. Basal LV rotation and LV twist were greater in DH group than those in DM group （P〈0.01）. It was concluded that STI may be used to identify early abnormalities in patients with type 2 DM that have normal left ventricular systolic function.