Evaluation Of Left Ventricular Systolic Function In Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to assess the longitudinal changes in left ventricular (LV) systolic function among patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (MI), categorized by the affected vessel.

Methods: A cohort study included 158 patients who received primary angioplasty for acute MI. Each patient had a baseline echocardiographic evaluation utilizing M-mode, two-dimensional measurements, and strain and strain rate assessments. Participants were monitored over a month to evaluate changes in LV systolic function.

Results: After one-month post-revascularization, a noteworthy improvement in global LV strain was observed (p-value = 0.05). Patients who experienced major adverse cardiac events (MACE) showed a significant reduction in Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain (LV GLS) compared to those without events. Additionally, values for the Wall Motion Score Index and LV end-systolic volume were substantially elevated in the MACE group versus the event-free group.

Conclusion: The findings reveal an enhancement in LV systolic function, measured via speckle tracking echocardiography, exceeding that of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) regardless of the culprit vessel. MACE was reported in 4.4% of the acute MI patients even after successful PCI. Baseline LV EF and Wall Motion Score Index were identified as independent predictors of MACE at the one-month follow-up, more so than LV strain.