EARLY REMODELING STRAIN LEVELS CAN PREDICT THE PROGRESSION OF REMODELING OF THE LEFT VENTRICLE POST MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

摘要

Over one million patients are affected with left ventricular (LV) injury annually after sustaining a myocardial infarction (MI). In order to compensate for the loss in pumping function, the heart undergoes changes meant to maintain homeostasis. This process actually leads to a remodeling process that is initially compensatory and later becomes maladaptive. Remodeling after MI often involves loss of contractility and hypertrophy of the LV in response to increased loading conditions. Some patients are able to recover with the use of medicine and surgical intervention. However, others experience a progression of the remodeling process which leads to LV dysfunction and heart failure as the heart becomes more spherical and loses its ability to effectively contract. [1] Remodeling strain relates to the structural change in the myocardium of the LV in response to added load on the LV wall. The present in-vivo study was carried out to investigate if the biomechanical changes in remodeling strain measured at an early time point (one and two weeks) post-MI is predictive of the progression of myocardial remodeling leading to dysfunction over time. If it is possible to establish a relationship between these then a time frame for intervention can be recommended early in the recovery process during which a patient's risk for significant remodeling in the following weeks could be determined.