The prognostic value of right ventricular longitudinal strain and 3D ejection fraction in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Several studies showed that right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a powerful predictor in heart failure (HF). Advanced echocardiographic techniques such as speckle-tracking imaging and three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography proved to be accurate tools for RV assessment, but their clinical significance remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of two-dimensional (2D) RV strain and 3D ejection fraction (RVEF) in predicting adverse outcome in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Right ventricular-arterial coupling - A new perspective for right ventricle evaluation in heart failure patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: Right ventricular - arterial (RV-PA) coupling can be estimated by echocardiography using the ratio between (TAPSE) and pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP). TAPSE/PASP ratio proved to be a prognostic parameter in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Objective: To evaluate the significance of RV-PA coupling in patients with HFrEF undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

The Role of Left-Atrial Mechanics Assessed by Two-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography to Differentiate Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy from Hypertensive Left-Ventricular Hypertrophy.

Unlabelled: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and arterial hypertension (HTN) are conditions with different pathophysiology, but both can result in left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The role of left-atrial (LA) functional changes detected by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in indicating LVH etiology is unknown.

Methods: We aimed to characterize LA mechanics using STE in LVH patients with HCM and HTN.

Forgotten No More-The Role of Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction: An Echocardiographic Perspective.

During the last decade, studies have raised awareness of the crucial role that the right ventricle plays in various clinical settings, including diseases primarily linked to the left ventricle. The assessment of right ventricular performance with conventional echocardiography is challenging. Novel echocardiographic techniques improve the functional assessment of the right ventricle and they show good correlation with the gold standard represented by cardiac magnetic resonance.

Prognostic Value of Right Ventricular Function Assessed by Echocardiography in Patients Presenting With a First Acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated By Primary PCI.

Aims: Informations regarding the prognostic value of right ventricular function changes in the setting of a first acute ST elevation myocardial infarction irrespective of the site of the necrosis and of the left ventricular systolic function are scarce. Purpose of the study was to assess the relation between parameters reflecting global and systolic right ventricular function assessed by conventional, speckle tracking and three-dimensional echocardiography and in hospital major cardiac events (MACE).

Materials And Methods: We have prospectively analyzed a cohort of 44 consecutive patients (mean age 62,71 years, 70.

Imaging Atherosclerosis by Carotid Intima-media Thickness in vivo: How to, Where and in Whom ?

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) can be reliably determined in vivo by carotidian ultrasound and is an accessible and reliable method to assess subclinical atherosclerosis. Available epidemiological data showed that CIMT is significantly correlated with future cardiovascular events. However it has limited value to help risk stratification on top of standard risk-derived functions such as Framingham risk score.

Systemic inflammation and early atheroma formation: are they related?

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease started by endothelial injury and defined by arterial wall load with free and esterified cholesterol, followed by subintimal focal recruitment of circulating monocytes and T-lymphocytes that heals by fibrosis and calcification. Inflammation plays a crucial role in atherogenesis either by local cellular mechanisms or humoral consequences easily measurable in plasma. In most cases inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are triggered by cardiovascular risk factors: hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, smoking or diabetes.