Diastolic time – frequency relation in the stress echo lab: filling timing and flow at different heart rates

A cutaneous force-frequency relation recording system based on first heart sound amplitude vibrations has been recently validated. Second heart sound can be simultaneously recorded in order to quantify both systole and diastole duration

Model prediction of subendocardial perfusion of the coronary circulation in the presence of an epicardial coronary artery stenosis

The subendocardium is most vulnerable to ischemia, which is ameliorated by relaxation during diastole and increased coronary pressure. Recent clinical techniques permit the measuring of subendocardial perfusion and it is therefore important to gain insight into how measurements depend on perfusion conditions of the heart. Using data from microsphere experiments a layered model of the myocardial wall was developed. Myocardial perfusion distribution during hyperemia was predicted for different degrees of coronary stenosis and at different levels of Diastolic Time Fraction (DTF). At the reference DTF, perfusion was rather evenly distributed over the layers and the effect of the stenosis was homogenous. However, at shorter or longer DTF, the subendocardium was the first or last to suffer from shortage of perfusion. It is therefore concluded that the possible occurrence of subendocardial ischemia at exercise is underestimated when heart rate is increased and DTF is lower

Mechanical behaviour and rupture of normal and pathological human ascending aortic wall

The mechanical properties of aortic wall, both healthy and pathological, are needed in order to develop and improve diagnostic and interventional criteria, and for the development of mechanical models to assess arterial integrity. This study focuses on the mechanical behaviour and rupture conditions of the human ascending aorta and its relationship with age and pathologies. Fresh ascending aortic specimens harvested from 23 healthy donors, 12 patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and 14 with aneurysm were tensile-tested in vitro under physiological conditions. Tensile strength, stretch at failure and elbow stress were measured. The obtained results showed that age causes a major reduction in the mechanical parameters of healthy ascending aortic tissue, and that no significant differences are found between the mechanical strength of aneurysmal or BAV aortic specimens and the corresponding age-matched control group. The physiological level of the stress in the circumferential direction was also computed to assess the physiological operation range of healthy and diseased ascending aortas. The mean physiological wall stress acting on pathologic aortas was found to be far from rupture, with factors of safety (defined as the ratio of tensile strength to the mean wall stress) larger than six. In contrast, the physiological operation of pathologic vessels lays in the stiff part of the response curve, losing part of its function of damping the pressure waves from the heart

Abnormal shortened diastolic time length at increasing heart rates in patients with abnormal exercise-induced increase in pulmonary artery pressure

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The degree of pulmonary hypertension is not independently related to the severity of left ventricular systolic dysfunction but is frequently associated with diastolic filling abnormalities. The aim of this study was to assess diastolic times at increasing heart rates in normal and in patients with and without abnormal exercise-induced increase in pulmonary artery pressure (PASP). Methods. We enrolled 109 patients (78 males, age 62 ± 13 years) referred for exercise stress echocardiography and 16 controls. The PASP was derived from the tricuspid Doppler tracing. A cut-off value of PASP ≥ 50 mmHg at peak stress was considered as indicative of abnormal increase in PASP. Diastolic times and the diastolic/systolic time ratio were recorded by a precordial cutaneous force sensor based on a linear accelerometer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At baseline, PASP was 30 ± 5 mmHg in patients and 25 ± 4 in controls. At peak stress the PASP was normal in 95 patients (Group 1); 14 patients (Group 2) showed an abnormal increase in PASP (from 35 ± 4 to 62 ± 12 mmHg; P < 0.01). At 100 bpm, an abnormal (< 1) diastolic/systolic time ratio was found in 0/16 (0%) controls, in 12/93 (13%) Group 1 and 7/14 (50%) Group 2 patients (p < 0.05 between groups).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The first and second heart sound vibrations non-invasively monitored by a force sensor are useful for continuously assessing diastolic time during exercise. Exercise-induced abnormal PASP was associated with reduced diastolic time at heart rates beyond 100 beats per minute.</p

Post-exercise contractility, diastolic function, and pressure: Operator-independent sensor-based intelligent monitoring for heart failure telemedicine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>New sensors for intelligent remote monitoring of the heart should be developed. Recently, a cutaneous force-frequency relation recording system has been validated based on heart sound amplitude and timing variations at increasing heart rates.</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>To assess sensor-based post-exercise contractility, diastolic function and pressure in normal and diseased hearts as a model of a wireless telemedicine system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We enrolled 150 patients and 22 controls referred for exercise-stress echocardiography, age 55 ± 18 years. The sensor was attached in the precordial region by an ECG electrode. Stress and recovery contractility were derived by first heart sound amplitude vibration changes; diastolic times were acquired continuously. Systemic pressure changes were quantitatively documented by second heart sound recording.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Interpretable sensor recordings were obtained in all patients (feasibility = 100%). Post-exercise contractility overshoot (defined as increase > 10% of recovery contractility vs exercise value) was more frequent in patients than controls (27% vs 8%, p < 0.05). At 100 bpm stress heart rate, systolic/diastolic time ratio (normal, < 1) was > 1 in 20 patients and in none of the controls (p < 0.01); at recovery systolic/diastolic ratio was > 1 in only 3 patients (p < 0.01 vs stress). Post-exercise reduced arterial pressure was sensed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Post-exercise contractility, diastolic time and pressure changes can be continuously measured by a cutaneous sensor. Heart disease affects not only exercise systolic performance, but also post-exercise recovery, diastolic time intervals and blood pressure changes – in our study, all of these were monitored by a non-invasive wearable sensor.</p

Frequency and severity of myocardial perfusion abnormalities using Tc-99m MIBI SPECT in cardiac syndrome X

BACKGROUND: Cardiac syndrome X is defined by a typical angina pectoris with normal or near normal (stenosis <40%) coronary angiogram with or without electrocardiogram (ECG) change or atypical angina pectoris with normal or near normal coronary angiogram plus a positive none-invasive test (exercise tolerance test or myocardial perfusion scan) with or without ECG change. Studies with myocardial perfusion imaging on this syndrome have indicated some abnormal perfusion scan. We evaluated the role of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and also the severity and extent of perfusion abnormality using Tc-99m MIBI Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) in these patients. METHODS: The study group consisted of 36 patients with cardiac syndrome X. The semiquantitative perfusion analysis was performed using exercise Tc-99m MIBI SPECT. The MPI results were analyzed by the number, location and severity of perfusion defects. RESULTS: Abnormal perfusion defects were detected in 13 (36.10%) cases, while the remaining 23 (63.90%) had normal cardiac imaging. Five of 13 (38.4%) abnormal studies showed multiple perfusion defects. The defects were localized in the apex in 3, apical segments in 4, midventricular segments in 12 and basal segments in 6 cases. Fourteen (56%) of all abnormal segments revealed mild, 7(28%) moderate and 4 (16%) severe reduction of tracer uptake. No fixed defects were identified. The vessel territories were approximately the same in all subjects. The Exercise treadmill test (ETT) was positive in 25(69%) and negative in 11(30%) patients. There was no consistent pattern as related to the extent of MPI defects or exercise test results. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that multiple perfusion abnormalities with different levels of severity are common in cardiac syndrome X, with more than 30 % of these patients having at least one abnormal perfusion segment. Our findings suggest that in these patients microvascular angina is probably more common than is generally believed

Three-dimensional mapping of mechanical activation patterns, contractile dyssynchrony and dyscoordination by two-dimensional strain echocardiography: Rationale and design of a novel software toolbox

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dyssynchrony of myocardial deformation is usually described in terms of variability only (e.g. standard deviations SD's). A description in terms of the spatio-temporal distribution pattern (vector-analysis) of dyssynchrony or by indices estimating its impact by expressing dyscoordination of shortening in relation to the global ventricular shortening may be preferential. Strain echocardiography by speckle tracking is a new non-invasive, albeit 2-D imaging modality to study myocardial deformation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A post-processing toolbox was designed to incorporate local, speckle tracking-derived deformation data into a 36 segment 3-D model of the left ventricle. Global left ventricular shortening, standard deviations and vectors of timing of shortening were calculated. The impact of dyssynchrony was estimated by comparing the end-systolic values with either early peak values only (early shortening reserve ESR) or with all peak values (virtual shortening reserve VSR), and by the internal strain fraction (ISF) expressing dyscoordination as the fraction of deformation lost internally due to simultaneous shortening and stretching. These dyssynchrony parameters were compared in 8 volunteers (NL), 8 patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), and 7 patients before (LBBB) and after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Dyssynchrony indices merely based on variability failed to detect differences between WPW and NL and failed to demonstrate the effect of CRT. Only the 3-D vector of onset of shortening could distinguish WPW from NL, while at peak shortening and by VSR, ESR and ISF no differences were found. All tested dyssynchrony parameters yielded higher values in LBBB compared to both NL and WPW. CRT reduced the spatial divergence of shortening (both vector magnitude and direction), and improved global ventricular shortening along with reductions in ESR and dyscoordination of shortening expressed by ISF.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Incorporation of local 2-D echocardiographic deformation data into a 3-D model by dedicated software allows a comprehensive analysis of spatio-temporal distribution patterns of myocardial dyssynchrony, of the global left ventricular deformation and of newer indices that may better reflect myocardial dyscoordination and/or impaired ventricular contractile efficiency. The potential value of such an analysis is highlighted in two dyssynchronous pathologies that impose particular challenges to deformation imaging.</p

The Role of Interventional Cardiology to Our Understanding of Basic Mechanisms Related to Coronary Atherosclerosis: “Thinking outside the box”

Interventional cardiology has contributed significantly to our understanding of coronary atherosclerosis. Interventional cardiology has allowed a correlation between the clinical picture of coronary atherosclerosis with the underlying pathology and has helped establish the evolution of atherosclerotic plaques in vivo. Better understanding of the basic mechanisms of coronary atherosclerosis, due to the contributions of interventional cardiology, will help cure and/or prevent coronary atherosclerosis in the next few decades. In this mini review, several of the remarkable contributions of interventional cardiology, which have allowed a better understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms related to coronary atherosclerosis, will be emphasized. In addition, certain projections for the future will be made based on current knowledge. © 2016 Hellenic Society of Cardiolog