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Right ventricular global longitudinal strain by cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking is associated with outcome in patients with a systemic right ventricle

K. Wustmann, E. V. Buechel, J. Ruperti-Repilado, M. Greutmann, M. Schwerzmann, J. Bouchardy, T. Rutz, D. Tobler et al.

European Heart Journal, 2024

78 participants · 1 citation

Abstract

It is well known, that patients with a systemic (sub-aortic) right ventricle (sRV) for congenitally-corrected transposition of the great arteries (TGA) or with complete TGA after atrial switch operation are more threatened to develop RV dysfunction, relevant supra- and ventricular tachycardia and have a reduced life expectancy. While the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, multi-centre SERVE trial to investigate the effect of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor tadalafil in sRV patients showed negative results on the primary end-point RV endsystolic volume (RVESV), aim of this sub-analysis was to evaluate RV global longitudinal strain (GLS), a more sensitive measure of RV function, by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking (FT) over time, for treatment effect and to investigate whether RV GLS predicts clinical outcome in sRV patients.

CMR volumetric RV and FT parameters were analysed (blinded for patient and assessment time and treatment) at baseline and compared to follow-up (FU) after 3 years, or after 1 year in case of withdrawal of the study drug. FT was performed using appropriate software. Treatment effect was analysed using ANCOVA with baseline values and FU-time as covariates. Values of > 4th quartile of RV GLS were used as cut-off for Kaplan-Meier analysis on the primary outcome, defined as a composite of all-cause death, clinically relevant arrhythmias and hospitalisation for heart failure.

CMR exams were available for 78 patients at baseline…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 78 participants or records.

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