Evaluation of the role of left atrial strain using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with diabetes mellitus and heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Objective: To evaluate additional role of left atrial two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, 218 patients with heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction divided according to the presence of diabetes mellitus (108 with and 110 without) were enrolled in the study.

Methods: Traditional parameters using two-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler imaging were measured as expressions of left ventricular diastolic function as well as peak atrial longitudinal strain and peak atrial contraction strain were measured using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Results: Global average peak atrial longitudinal strain and peak atrial contraction strain were significantly lower in patients with diabetes mellitus (p = 0.

Echocardiographic predictors of chronotropic incompetence to exercise in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Objective: Exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is most often attributed to diastolic dysfunction (DD); however, chronotropic incompetence (CI) could also play an important role. We intended to examine whether there are predictive echocardiographic parameters of DD for impaired chronotropic response to exercise.

Methods And Results: Patients (n = 143) with unexplained dyspnea and/or exercise intolerance who fulfilled clinical and echocardiographic criteria of HFpEF presence underwent a symptom-limited exercise test using a treadmill (ETT) according to the Bruce protocol.

Bioelectric impedance in the estimation of hemodynamic and fluid status in dialysis patients.

In order to estimate the hemodynamic and fluid changes, "dry body weight" and intradialytic stability, electric bioimpedance cardiography was performed in 37 dialysis patients during dialysis procedure, i.e. before, at 2 h and after dialysis.