Early detection of reduced left ventricular systolic function by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with primary mitral regurgitation in a Vietnamese cohort.

Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common heart valve disease, causing many serious complications in several organ systems, especially the cardiovascular system. The 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a new technique for detecting potential cardiac dysfunction when only tissue function abnormalities are present. The study aimed to assess left ventricular (LV) systolic function early by STE in patients with primary MR through global LV deformity along the global longitudinal strain (GLS). Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 46 patients with moderate to severe primary MR as recommended by the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) 2017. Results: The prevalence of patients with GLS reduction with ejection fraction (EF) >60%, New York Heart Association (NYHA) I, and left ventricular internal diameter systolic (LVIDs) <40 mm was 38.1%, 35.7%, and 39.5%, respectively. 100% of patients with EF<60% and LVIDs ≥40 mm had reduced GLS (<16%). The GLS index strongly correlates with the NYHA classification, degree of MR, EF, and echocardiographic parameters. Conclusion: GLS index gives a significant sign in the early detection of cardiac function abnormalities before symptoms or other echocardiographic parameters in patients with MR.