Assessment of elevation of and rapid change in left ventricular filling pressure using a novel global strain imaging diastolic index

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether global strain imaging diastolic index (SIDI) obtained using 2-D speckle tracking imaging (2DSI) could predict elevation in and rapid change of LV filling pressure. Methods and Results: Patients (n=126) underwent echocardiography and 2DSI during simultaneous cardiac catheterization. There were 60 patients in whom the same measurements were repeated 5 min after i.v. glyceryl trinitrate. LV pre-atrial contraction pressure (pre-A) was measured as a surrogate of LV filling pressure. SIDI was defined as the change of LV longitudinal strain measured using 2DSI during the first one-third of diastole. Then, longitudinal global SIDI (L-global SIDI) was calculated as the mean SIDI of 18 LV segments. Mitral inflow and tissue Doppler imaging were also assessed. Among 126 patients, 93 patients had LV pre-A ≥15 mmHg. L-global SIDI had a better correlation with LV pre-A (P<0.001, r=-0.56) than E/e' (P<0.01, r=0.35). On receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, L-global SIDI <0.48 was the optimum cut-off to predict LV pre-A ≥15 mmHg (sensitivity, 82%; specificity, 68%). In addition, the ratio of L-global SIDI (after nitrate/before nitrate) was correlated with the ratio of LV pre-A (after nitrate/ before nitrate; P=0.02, r=-0.34). Conclusions: A novel L-global SIDI derived from 2DSI may reflect elevated LV filling pressure and its rapid change better than conventional diastolic parameters.