Effects of vitamin D deficiency on left atrial function as evaluated by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent the world over, and some of its effects on the cardiovascular system have been previously demonstrated. We evaluated left atrial (LA) function via 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in subjects with and without vitamin D deficiency. Ninety-seven consecutive patients without significant coronary artery disease on selective coronary angiography were incorporated in our study and divided according to their serum level of vitamin D into 2 groups: with and without vitamin D deficiency. The early diastolic strain rate, as a marker of LA conduit function, was increased in patients with vitamin D deficiency (P = .008) and after adjustment for age (P = .046). However, after adjustment for all the confounding factors, vitamin D deficiency showed only a trend to be the independent determinant of LA early diastolic longitudinal strain rate (SRE, P = .065). Our findings indicated that LA function, as evaluated by 2DSTE, was not different between subjects with and without vitamin D deficiency after adjustment for the confounding factors.

Akhavan-Khaleghi N ，Hosseinsabet A ，Mohseni-Badalabadi R 《-》

Evaluation of longitudinal left ventricular function in patients with coronary artery ectasia and vitamin D deficiency by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography.

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as the dilation of at least one segment of the coronary arteries that reaches at least 1.5 times the size of a normal neighboring segment. It has been shown that left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is impaired in patients with CAE. Also, it has been shown that LV function is impaired in vitamin D-deficient subjects compared with vitamin D-sufficient subjects and vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in CAE patients. We hypothesized that LV function is impaired in patients with CAE so we evaluated longitudinal LV myocardial function by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in patients with CAE and vitamin D deficiency without significant coronary artery stenosis and compared the results with those of subjects with vitamin D deficiency and near-normal coronary arteries. Our study population comprised 21 consecutive patients with CAE and without significant coronary artery stenosis (<50%) and 31 control subjects with near-normal coronary arteries. All subjects had vitamin D deficiency. All 2DSTE-derived indices of longitudinal LV function, comprised of the absolute values of systolic strain (14.0±2.7% vs 15.4±2.3%, P=.039), systolic strain rate (1.2±0.2/s vs 1.3±0.2/s, P=.015), early diastolic strain rate (1.1±0.3/s vs 1.3±0.3 s-1 , P=.030), and late diastolic strain rate (0.8±0.2/s vs 1±0.2/s, P=.005), were reduced in the patients with CAE and vitamin D deficiency. The systolic and diastolic functions of the LV in the patients with CAE and vitamin D deficiency were impaired as evaluated by 2DSTE.

Aghajani H ，Faal M ，Hosseinsabet A 《-》

Evaluation of left atrial function in patients with iron-deficiency anemia by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Shen J ，Zhou Q ，Liu Y ，Luo R ，Tan B ，Li G ... -  《-》

Evaluation of left atrial function via two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a segmental dilation of an epicardial coronary artery. Our aim was to evaluate the left atrial (LA) function in patients with CAE. Twenty-seven consecutive patients with CAE and 33 subjects without significant coronary artery disease were included in our study. LA function was evaluated with two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE). The systolic, early diastolic and late diastolic strains and strain rates were not statistically significantly different between the two groups. Our findings demonstrated that LA function may not be affected by CAE when assessed with 2DSTE. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:231-237, 2017.

Aghajani H ，Faal M ，Hosseinsabet A ，Mohseni-Badalabadi R ... -  《-》

Left atrial regional phasic strain, strain rate and velocity by speckle-tracking echocardiography: normal values and effects of aging in a large group of normal subjects.

Two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a new tool for evaluation of LA function. The aims of this study are to establish the normal range of LA function measured by 2DSTE in different age groups and to evaluate the relations between the parameters of 2DSTE and Doppler echocardiography in evaluating LA and LV diastolic function in healthy adults. A total of 121 healthy volunteers (62 males, aged 47±15) were studied. The LA STE curves were obtained using R-wave onset of the electrocardiogram as a reference point. The LA strain during systolic, early and late diastole (εs, εa and εe = εr - εa); strain rate (SRs, SR, SRe and SRa); velocity (Vs, Ve and Va) were analyzed by commercialized software (EchoPAC). The differences between these parameters were analyzed in different age groups (≤35, 36-55 and ≥55 years) in both genders and compared with the corresponding Doppler echocardiographic indices. Global LA εs, εe, and εa were 46.8±7.7, 27.3±6.4 and 19.6±4.2%; SRs, SRe, and SRa were 2.4±0.5, -2.4±0.7 and -2.8±0.6 1/s; Vs, Ve and Va were -5.3±0.9, 5.8±1.2 and 5.2±1.1cm/s respectively. The global LA 2DSTE parameters significantly correlated with Doppler echocardiographic indices which represented LA or LV diastolic function. Moreover, the STE LA parameters correlated significantly with age but not gender. This study provides the normal range of LA strain, strain rate and velocity in 3 age groups, which are closely correlated with LA and LV function. The detailed assessment of LA phasic mechanics by 2DSTE may prove to be an important tool for future clinical studies.

Sun JP ，Yang Y ，Guo R ，Wang D ，Lee AP ，Wang XY ，Lam YY ，Fang F ，Yang XS ，Yu CM ... -  《-》