Cardiology and Angiology: An International Journal

Background: Despite well-established therapeutic techniques, such as direct revascularization through percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity.

Objectives: To determine if two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) deformation parameters and the early recovery of left ventricular (LV) functions are affected by the timing of PCI in AMI.

Methods: A total of 200 cases with newly-onset acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who had a baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) higher than 35% and received effective therapy with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included in this investigation. Cases were categorized as either ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Cases were grouped into four groups according to the time between presentation and PCI. Using standard echocardiography and two-dimensional (2D) STE, individuals were re-evaluated initially and three months later to find out if remodeling had taken place or if the LV function had returned.

Results: Of the 200 AMI patients, including 140 males (70%), improvement in global longitudinal strain (GLS) and harmed longitudinal strain (HLS) were better in STEMI and NSTEMI patients received urgent revascularization with PCI (groups I and III) versus patients with pharmacoinvasive strategy or routine invasive strategy (Groups II and IV) (P < 0.05) while there was an insignificant difference between group I and III (P = 0.79). Of the 200 patients, 47 patients (23.5%) presented signs of LV remodeling at 3 months follow up. Age, smoking history, hypertension, dyslipidemia, Killip class, peak creatine phosphokinase - MB level, baseline left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), HLS, and harmed longitudinal strain rate (HLSR) were all factors that were found to be significantly associated with left ventricular remodeling (P<0.05) in the univariate logistic regression analysis. The following factors were identified as independent predictors of left ventricular remodeling in multivariate logistic regression analysis: damaged left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and end-systolic volume, peak troponin I, Killip class, culprit left anterior descending (LAD), 2 and 3-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD), and wall motion score index (WMSI).

Conclusion: Earlier PCI in AMI helps earlier improvement in myocardial strain parameters. HLS and HLSR are excellent predictors for LV remodeling and may do better than global parameters.