tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Cardiovasc Dev Dis
. 2023 Aug 15;10(8):349.
doi: 10.3390/jcdd10080349. Echocardiographic Assessment in Patients Recovered from Acute COVID-19 Illness
Luke Stefani[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Paula Brown[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Monica Gerges[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Peter Emerson[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Aaisha Ferkh[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Kristina Kairaitis[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Nicole Gilroy[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Mikhail Altman[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Liza Thomas[SUP] 1 2 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections have spread rapidly worldwide and posed an immense public health problem. COVID-19 infection can affect the cardiovascular system both acutely and in patients followed up some period after COVID-19 infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function by echocardiography in COVID-19 recovered patients (hospitalized and non-hospitalized). Forty-two patients who recovered from COVID-19 but had ongoing symptoms were included in this retrospective observational cross-sectional study. Patients were followed-up at a median time of 112 days from confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and a comprehensive echocardiogram was performed. COVID-19 patients were age- and sex-matched to healthy controls. Traditional TTE parameters and advanced echocardiographic parameters including two-dimensional LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and RV free wall strain (FWS) were measured. LV volumes and LV ejection fraction were similar in COVID-19 patients and controls; however, LV GLS was significantly worse in the COVID-19 group (p = 0.002). Similarly, RV volumes and traditional RV function parameters were similar, but RV FWS (p = 0.009) and RV global strain (p = 0.015) were reduced. Alterations in LV and RV strain were observed in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. In the subset of COVID-19 patients without any co-morbidities (n = 30), LV GLS remained reduced compared to controls. According to multivariate analysis, COVID-19 infection was the only independent determinant of reduced LV GLS (p = 0.012), while COVID-19 infection, diastolic blood pressure, and RV fractional area change were determinants of RV FWS. In this observational study, prior COVID-19 infection demonstrated LV dysfunction in patients with persistent symptoms. Abnormal LV strain was evident in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients, suggesting that these changes are independent of the severity of COVID-19 infection at presentation. The use of LV GLS in COVID-19 patients could have potential clinical utility to support the indication for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with possible COVID-19 related myocarditis. Future longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate its correlation with adverse cardiovascular events.
Keywords: COVID-19; GLS; RV free wall strain; echocardiography.
. 2023 Aug 15;10(8):349.
doi: 10.3390/jcdd10080349. Echocardiographic Assessment in Patients Recovered from Acute COVID-19 Illness
Luke Stefani[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Paula Brown[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Monica Gerges[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Peter Emerson[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Aaisha Ferkh[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Kristina Kairaitis[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Nicole Gilroy[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Mikhail Altman[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Liza Thomas[SUP] 1 2 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37623362
- DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10080349
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections have spread rapidly worldwide and posed an immense public health problem. COVID-19 infection can affect the cardiovascular system both acutely and in patients followed up some period after COVID-19 infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function by echocardiography in COVID-19 recovered patients (hospitalized and non-hospitalized). Forty-two patients who recovered from COVID-19 but had ongoing symptoms were included in this retrospective observational cross-sectional study. Patients were followed-up at a median time of 112 days from confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and a comprehensive echocardiogram was performed. COVID-19 patients were age- and sex-matched to healthy controls. Traditional TTE parameters and advanced echocardiographic parameters including two-dimensional LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and RV free wall strain (FWS) were measured. LV volumes and LV ejection fraction were similar in COVID-19 patients and controls; however, LV GLS was significantly worse in the COVID-19 group (p = 0.002). Similarly, RV volumes and traditional RV function parameters were similar, but RV FWS (p = 0.009) and RV global strain (p = 0.015) were reduced. Alterations in LV and RV strain were observed in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. In the subset of COVID-19 patients without any co-morbidities (n = 30), LV GLS remained reduced compared to controls. According to multivariate analysis, COVID-19 infection was the only independent determinant of reduced LV GLS (p = 0.012), while COVID-19 infection, diastolic blood pressure, and RV fractional area change were determinants of RV FWS. In this observational study, prior COVID-19 infection demonstrated LV dysfunction in patients with persistent symptoms. Abnormal LV strain was evident in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients, suggesting that these changes are independent of the severity of COVID-19 infection at presentation. The use of LV GLS in COVID-19 patients could have potential clinical utility to support the indication for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with possible COVID-19 related myocarditis. Future longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate its correlation with adverse cardiovascular events.
Keywords: COVID-19; GLS; RV free wall strain; echocardiography.