Area Strain: Normal Values for a New Parameter in Healthy People

The echocardiographic technology known as three-dimensional wall motion tracking offers three-dimensional images of the myocardium and provides multiple measures of deformation, one of which is known as “area strain” (AS), which combines left ventricular longitudinal and circumferential deformations. Our aim was to describe the normal maximum systolic reference AS value in a sample of healthy subjects. Sixty consecutive subjects without known cardiovascular risk factors or diseases were enrolled, and left ventricular AS was measured. Overall mean AS was –38.87 ± 5.89%. Mean values at the level of the basal, middle, and apical segments were –38.42% ± 7.58%, –38.74% ± 6.34%, and −43.18% ± 12.81%, respectively. Thus, our results show for the first time the reference values for AS in healthy subjects.

ResumenLa tecnología ecocardiográfica denominada three-dimensional wall motion tracking es capaz de realizar un seguimiento tridimensional del miocardio y obtener múltiples valores de su deformación, entre los que se encuentra el area strain (AS), que combina el análisis de la deformación longitudinal y circunferencial del ventrículo izquierdo. Nuestro objetivo es describir el valor sistólico máximo normal de referencia de AS en una muestra de sujetos sanos. Se reclutó a 60 sujetos consecutivos, sin enfermedad ni factores de riesgo cardiovascular conocidos, y se les cuantificó el AS del ventrículo izquierdo. El valor promedio de AS fue –38,87 ± 5,89%. Los valores promedio a nivel de los segmentos basales, medio y apicales fueron –38,42 ± 7,58%, –38,74 ± 6,34% y –43,18 ± 12,81% respectivamente. Por lo tanto, nuestros resultados muestran, por primera vez, los valores de referencia de AS en sujetos sanos.