Global longitudinal strain from resting echocardiogram is associated with long-term adverse cardiac outcomes in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

Purpose: Measuring myocardial strain using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography has emerged as a new tool to identify subclinical ventricular dysfunction. Abnormal strain has been shown to have superior sensitivity compared with dobutamine stress echocardiography for viability assessment; however, there is a paucity of data regarding the prediction of long-term major adverse cardiac events. We compared the prognostic ability of both global longitudinal strain (GLS) from resting echocardiograms to regional wall motion score index (WMSI) from stress echocardiograms in their ability to predict long-term major adverse cardiac events. Methods: Patients referred for stress echocardiography, who also underwent coronary angiography within 3 months of stress echo (n=122), were enrolled. Patients with reduced ejection fractions (<40%) were excluded. Patients were followed for a median of 3.4 years for major adverse cardiac events, readmissions and repeat cardiac testing. Results: Patients with abnormal GLS (GLS <16.8%) from the resting echocardiogram obtained as part of the exercise echocardiogram experienced a significantly shorter time to major adverse cardiac events (p=0.026), first cardiovascular hospitalization and repeat cardiac testing (p=0.0011) compared to those with normal GLS. Abnormal GLS appears to be a better predictor than abnormal WMSI in predicting major adverse cardiac events (p=0.174) and time to first cardiovascular hospitalization or repeat cardiac testing (p=0.0093). Conclusion: GLS may be a better predictor of long-term major adverse cardiac events, readmissions and repeat cardiac testing than WMSI in patients undergoing stress echocardiography.