Correlation of Global Longitudinal Strain with Functional Status of Patients with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction: Does Gender Difference Exist?

Abstract

Objectives: Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic (echo) assessment of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by Simpson’s biplane method is routinely used in clinical practice for patient management. The measurement of global longitudinal strain (GLS) using speckle tracking echocardiography is a new method for assessing left ventricular (LV) systolic function with several advantages. There are very few observations regarding the correlation of 2D GLS with the functional status of patients with the LV systolic dysfunction (LVSD). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the superiority of GLS over Simpson’s method of LVEF in predicting the functional status of the patients with moderate-to-severe LVSD (ejection fraction <40%) and to find out if any difference exists between male and female patients. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients aged 18–80 years satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were studied over a period of 2 months. Simpson’s method was used to calculate 2D LVEF. 2D GLS was assessed using an automated function imaging technique. The Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire was used to assess the functional status of patients. Results: Correlation of functional status of patients was better with 2D GLS than 2D LVEF, although both were found to be statistically significant and no statistically significant difference was found in observations between both genders. Conclusion: The correlation of functional status of patients with moderate-to-severe LVSD was better with 2D GLS than 2D LVEF. Further studies are needed to identify the gender differences in 2D GLS correlation with the functional status of patients with LVSD.