Effects of tafamidis on the left ventricular and left atrial strain in patients with wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

Aims: Although tafamidis is used in patients with wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTRwt-CA), its specific effect on cardiac function is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of tafamidis on left atrial (LA) and left ventricular function using speckle-tracking echocardiography for 1 year of treatment in patients with ATTRwt-CA.

Methods And Results: We included 23 patients (mean age, 76 years) with ATTRwt-CA confirmed via biopsy.

Right Ventricular Dyssynchrony in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure resulting in right heart failure. Right ventricular (RV) dyssynchrony may be associated with early-stage RV dysfunction; however, the differences in RV dyssynchrony between CTEPH and PAH and the factors contributing to RV dyssynchrony remain unclear.

Methods and results: Forty-four patients (CTEPH, 26; PAH, 18) were enrolled in this study.

Longitudinal strain of right ventricular free wall by 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography is useful for detecting pulmonary hypertension.

Aims: Echocardiography is widely used for screening pulmonary hypertension (PH). More recently developed two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) can assess regional deformation of the myocardium and is useful for detecting left ventricular dysfunction. However, its usefulness to assess right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is not clear.