Longitudinal Strain and Torsion Assessed by Two-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Correlate with the Serum Level of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1, a Marker of Myocardial Fibrosis, in Patients with Hypertension

In patients who are hypertensive with normal ejection fraction, impaired longitudinal ε and increased LV torsion correlated with serum TIMP-1, which suggests that the change in collagen turnover and the myocardial fibrotic process may affect the early contractile dysfunction of LV.