Integration of ventricular remodeling, synchrony and filling rate parameters to improve the assessment of left ventricular systolic function

Introduction and objectives

The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between structural, remodeling, synchrony, and systolic left ventricular (LV) function parameters using gated-SPECT myocardial-perfusion-images (gSPECT-MPI). In addition, obtaining the cut-off values for end-diastolic LV-shape-index (EDLVsi), end-systolic LV-shape-index (ESLVsi), ECC (eccentricity-index) and PER, and developing a new index to evaluate different patterns of the LV systolic function.

Methods

The study was approved by the Hospital’s Ethical-Committee (PR[AG]168.2010), and all patients gave their informed consent. We analyzed prospectively 238 patients (age 63.4 ± 13 years) who underwent stress-rest gSPECT-MPI (control-group, n = 148; patients with previous myocardial infarction [MI], n = 90).

Results

In the control group, with regard to remodeling parameters: the end-diastolic-volume-index (EDV) and the ECC were the parameters that influenced the EDLVsi (r²: 0.52, p < 0.001). EDV, PER, men, and the ECC were the parameters (r²: 0.44; p < 0.001) which influenced the ESLVsi. EDLVsi, ESLVsi, LVEF and the stroke-volume were the parameters (r²: 0.62; p < 0.001) which influenced the ECC. With regards to PER: LVEF, heart-rate, bandwidth, and the standard-deviation were the influencing parameters (r²: 0.76; p < 0.001). The cut-off values for EDLVsi, ESLVsi, ECC, and PER were 0.59, 0.42, 0.87, and 3.3, respectively. The PER, the ESLVsi and the bandwidth were the parameters related to patients with previous MI (AUC: 0.89); and they allow the assessment of different patterns of systolic function (PERRS-index: peak-emptying-rate, left ventricular-remodeling and synchrony).

Conclusions

The remodeling, synchrony and the systolic function parameters of the LV should be interpreted together (PERRS-index). In this way, we obtain different patterns of LV systolic function.